The key to relief migraine is medication, but people who have been interviewed in the study expressed fear that the high intake of medications would eventually harm them or create an addiction.
Migraines and other types of headaches cause significant productive loss to employers. Some people who get migraines have warning symptoms, called an aura, before the actual headache begins. An aura is a group of symptoms, including vision disturbances, which are a warning sign that a bad headache is originating.
The key to relief migraine is medication, but people who have been interviewed in the study expressed fear that the high intake of medications would eventually harm them or create an addiction. Which was a big reason to why they considered physical therapy. They felt that the treatment had given relief of symptoms along with a general increase in well-being, which in turn gave a sense of control over migraine.
Physical Therapy and Migraines
A classic migraine is often accompanied by tension within the neck. Doctors believe the tension is really a result of the migraine, not the cause from it. Even so, relieving neck tension can help to reduce the pain and discomfort due to the migraine. A physical therapist or licensed massage therapist can train a family member, partner or friend in specific techniques that will help relieve some of your migraine pain. Once you feel a migraine coming on, ask your friend or family member to massage your neck. A physical therapist or chiropractor might be able to teach you some stretching exercises that can also reduce the discomfort and duration of the migraine.
Because of the connection between nerve endings within the jaw and neck, pain in those areas can in fact be experienced in the head like a migraine. In such cases, physical therapy can help to reduce tension in the neck and jaw and also to restore proper alignment and function. Then, often, migraines will cease to happen.
Types of Physical Therapy
There are several types of physical therapy that migraine sufferers might consider trying. Different people experience different results with different techniques.
Acupuncture
This traditional Chinese therapy has shown promising leads to treating migraine pain. Acupuncture worked slightly much better than prescription medications for improving migraine symptoms. Its effects also lasted longer coupled with fewer side effects.
Classical Physical Therapy
There is classical physical therapy, which utilizes a combination of massage, adjustments, posture correction and movement work to restore proper function to your joints and muscles.
Massage
There’s massage, which focuses on muscle work and can assistance to relieve neck tension and jaw tension leading to non-classic migraines. Massage can also help reduce the neck tension associated with classic migraines.
Chiropractic Care
A chiropractor adjusts your joints to restore proper alignment. Misaligned bones can put pressure on nerves, triggering migraine episodes. Restoring proper alignment can be very useful for some people.
