Debilitating Headaches Like Migraine And What You Can Do About It

Chiropractic article

The most common pain that people can experience is headaches. Few people have never experienced a headache. Historically, many famous people have purportedly suffered from migraine headaches. People such as Julius Caesar, Napolean Bonaparte, Woodrow Wilson, John F. Kennedy and Sigmund Freud. When a migraine hits, it is incredibly debilitating.

Throughout my childhood, I experienced headaches for as long as I could remember. They were usually throbbing or pounding, and the frequency was about three times a week. Of course, I did the typical thing and took painkillers to alleviate the symptoms. I never questioned why I was getting headaches; I just kept living with them right through my university years, until I entered chiropractic college.

The headaches I experienced were probably not genuine migraines, and they are a distant memory today as, thankfully, I rarely have a headache. When I entered chiropractic college, I realised that injuries, including trauma to the head, probably played a contributing role.

There are many types of headaches:

• Cervicogenic (neck)

• Migraine

• Stress

• Chemical

• Hypoglycemic

• Sinus

• Cluster

There are more, but these are the most common categories.

Migraines are a type of headache known for their severity and are considered one of the most common neurological disorders. They are typically felt on one side of the face or head and produce a severe, pulsing or throbbing pain. Still, they can be bilateral and are usually chronic in nature. 

Migraine sufferers can experience repeated attacks, lasting hours or even days. Over time, some migraine sufferers will notice a pattern to when they get their migraines, and this may be related to specific triggers such as food, stress, menstrual cycles, caffeine, and even changes in atmospheric pressure or the weather.

In recent years, researchers have concluded that something in the brain causes migraines, and there is a reason why something like chiropractic care can help.

I remember a patient I had 40 years ago who had a few migraines a week, believe it or not. It had totally taken over her life; extremely debilitating. I did an initial examination and had x-rays of her neck. After her initial adjustment, she returned several days later and told me she couldn’t believe it. After she left my office, her headache was gone when she got home. She was a patient in the country town where I was working at the time and never had another headache while she was a patient.

That type of quick response with a migraine sufferer is not commonplace.