Many people with migraines rely on pain medications to alleviate their symptoms. However, those pills could actually result in more frequent headaches. According to recent research, 1 in 50 people experience daily headaches caused by medication overuse. Migraine is common after auto injury and during pregnancy, often developing into a debilitating, chronic condition.
Thankfully, there are natural treatments that do not cause worsening headaches. Research suggests chiropractic care to be beneficial for migraine treatment. We routinely see the success of chiropractic care for migraines in our Salem & Keizer office. In a randomized, controlled trial from 2000 assessed the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments for migraines.
The study involved 127 people suffering from migraines. All experienced at least one per month and were clinically diagnosed with migraines. They ranged in age from 10 to 70 years old. Half served as a control group, while the other half underwent chiropractic treatments. The treatment involved two months of spinal manipulations, with a maximum of two per week. During the study, participants noted headache intensity, frequency, duration, symptoms, and medication use.
Those undergoing chiropractic treatments saw clinically significant improvements in migraine frequency, duration, medication use, and disability caused by headaches. Following two months of treatment, 22% of participants reported at least a 90% reduction in migraine frequency. Another study, published in 2012, found that chiropractic treatments reduced migraine patients' pain severity levels by an average of 68%.
These study results support the use of chiropractic spinal manipulation to treat migraines. This adds to case studies showing the benefits of chiropractic care for women during pregnancy. Aloha, OR residents suffering from migraines should contact the Aloha & Beaverton chiropractors at Oregon Medical Centers to discuss how chiropractic care may help to alleviate their symptoms.
References
Jahangiri JN, Vatankhah N, and Baradaran HR. Reduction of Current Migraine Headache Pain Following Neck Massage and Spinal Manipulation. Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. 2012; 5(1): 5–13.
Tuchin P, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2000; 23 (2):91-95.
Dr. Bhasin grew up in Southern California and did her undergraduate work in pre-med at California State University Northridge, as well as Humboldt State University in California. Dr. Bhasin attended the University of Western States in Portland Oregon where she earned her Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. Dr. Bhasin has passed her National boards and her State Boards. Dr. Bhasin loves helping people and finds great joy helping injured people get out of pain and get their life back again. She has helped thousands of patients.
