Dear Future Doc: I Have Migraines Almost Daily…

Dear Future Doc, I have migraines almost daily, which started in my mid 30’s. Sometimes it feels like a light headache but more regularly it’s painful. I visited my family doctor about 5 years ago about this and she suggested I drink more water and take Advil or Tylenol. I’ve been taking this advice ever since and it usually helps for a few hours. If I don’t have those on hand I’ll apply an ice pack on my head or place it behind my neck. I am now 42 years old and my father has had chronic headaches since I can remember. I wonder if this is something genetic that I’ll have to deal with my whole life. I work full time in IT and have 2 teenagers. My life is reasonably stressful with daily activities but I don’t smoke or take any serious prescriptions. Is there any way to get rid of this chronic migraine/headache? -Angie

Hello Angie, I appreciate your question and concern regarding headaches. Headaches are one of the most common reasons people visit their doctor and particularly one of the most common reasons why one enters a chiropractic office.

There are several “types” of headaches which are classified primarily by terms describing their location, frequency, and their suspected underlying cause, for example, tension (tightened neck or skull muscles,) migraine (thought to be vascular,) cluster, hypertension (high blood pressure,) and concussive. Additionally, there are the rare headaches that may be secondary to a more serious condition such as a brain tumor or disrupted blood flow within and/or to the cranial areas, (aneurysm and stroke.)
Chiropractors are well trained to differentiate between types of headaches and direct the patient to the most appropriate type of treatment. Recent research has clearly shown a causative connection between spinal joint dysfunction and the vast majority of headaches, including migraines. Most chronic headache patients that enter my office have upper neck misalignment or joint dysfunction as the primary cause of their headache.

In the past month I’ve had 2 new patients entering my office that described their headaches as “daily and forever,” and after one or two treatments their headaches were gone! This rapid response to chiropractic treatment is not the typical, but it certainly isn’t rare. It usually requires a series of treatments over 4 to 12 weeks. I often wonder how many out there suffer daily and needlessly, popping another pill to get them through their day or night, just because they didn’t know that there is another way other than toxic pharmaceutical symptom suppression.

Having said that Angie, there are numerous other factors or body burdens that could be either contributing, triggering, or causing your headaches. Most headache cases in my future doc practice not only have spinal misalignment, but one or more of the five common stressors such as chemical or metal toxicity, food sensitivities, body scars, or a hidden immune challenge as complicating factors. The good news is that these can be found and handled in a reasonable time frame and it usually coincides with other positive health side effects, as well as a resolution of headaches.

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