According to the American Migraine Foundation, 12 percent of Americans suffer from migraines. One in four families has an affected member. Combined medical costs, work time-loss and decreased productivity are estimated to impact the U.S. economy by more than $20 billion annually.
There is no known cure for migraines. Current treatments aim to reduce the frequency, intensity and duration of the headaches when they occur. Migraine headaches are typically quite painful and rarely go away quickly, even with specific migraine treatment medications. A more effective migraine treatment is available by most chiropractors.
Here at Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic, we regularly treat patients who have suffered for years with migraines, many of whom have tried countless types of medications. You can read their stories here about how they were finally able to get their migraines under control. If you’re not sure if you suffer from migraines, a list below outlines the typical signs and symptoms of a migraine sufferrer.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
The headache from a migraine, with or without aura, has the following characteristics:
• Throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain
• Often begins on one side of your head and may spread to both or stay localized
• Most intense pain is often concentrated around the temple(s) (side of the forehead)
• Can last from 4 – 72 hours
These symptoms may occur at the same time or before the headache:
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, or even vertigo (feeling like the room is spinning)
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue
• Visual disturbances, like seeing flashing lights or zigzag lines, temporary blind spots (for example, loss of your peripheral vision), or blurred vision
• Parts of your body may feel numb, weak, or tingly
• Light, noise, and movement – especially bending over – make your head hurt worse; you want to lie down in a dark, quiet room
• Irritability Symptoms that may linger even after the headache is gone:
• Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp
• Sleepiness
• Neck pain
Seventy-two per cent of migraine sufferers in a clinical trial experienced either ‘substantial’ or ‘noticeable’ improvement after a period of chiropractic treatment. The randomized clinical trial was undertaken by Dr Peter Tuchin, a chiropractor for the past 20 years, as part of his recently-completed PhD thesis at Macquarie University. “Both groups kept a record of their migraines for the whole six months, noting down how often they got them, how severe they were, how long they lasted, and if there was anything they could think of that contributed to them,” Tuchin explains. “For two months prior to any treatment they just diarized their migraines, followed by two months of treatment and then two months of post-treatment.”
If you’re a migraine sufferer and you’re tired of dealing with migraines, we would be more than happy to sit down with you to see if chiropractic may be the right course of treatment for you. Our patients often comment on how much they didn’t realize how being migraine-free changes their quality of life. You can either give us a call or set up a complimentary consultation online at www.georgia-clinic.com. I look forward to meeting you and seeing if there’s something we can do together to tackle those migraines.
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic is conveniently located off Furys Ferry Rd in Martinez, Georgia and provides quality chiropractic care to the Augusta, Martinez, and Evans communities. To schedule an appointment, call (706) 814-5053 or schedule an appointment online at www.georgia-clinic.com.
