If you have ever suffered through the symptoms that accompany most migraine headaches, you know when one is coming on and you probably have some go to treatments that you hope will work. In the past, many migraine sufferers came in the form of an over the counter pill or a prescription medication. However, today many people who suffer through the sometimes debilitating effects of the migraine headache are finding that either lack of availability, or the drugs simply not working, are driving them to search for other and more reliable treatment.
Migraine pain differs by patient and is sometimes difficult to diagnose but among the most common migraine symptoms are:
- Throbbing/ pulsating pain
- Light sensitivity
- Sound sensitivity
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain on one side
- Changes in vision or blurred vision
- Aura
Some migraine symptoms may start up to two days before the onset of a headache and can include mood changes, constipation, food cravings, stiff neck and frequent yawning. In the United States today, more than 37 million Americans struggle with migraines. Of these, studies estimate that two to three million suffer chronic migraines. Migraines occur most often in women and between the ages of 35 to 55. 91 percent of migraine sufferers miss work or family and social events due to the pain. Sixty-nine percent of people with migraines have consulted a doctor about their headaches but nearly half of them, 47 percent, have been misdiagnosed with things like sinus or tension headaches. Because migraines strike during the years when we are most productive in our working life, the World Health Organization ranks migraine as the 19th most common reason for disability. Migraine sufferers also spend way more on their health care than those who do not experience migraine, using two and a half times as many drugs and six times as many diagnostic services. So with migraine being such a significant health problem today, many patients are looking for alternatives to traditional drug therapies to reduce or prevent continued migraines.
Recently, the Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society have provided alternatives to drug therapies for migraine treatment. Some natural, drug-free, remedies are making headway in the marketplace and treatment plans that utilize Chiropractic Neurology techniques are gaining ground and showing that fast-acting relief is available.
As patients seek out new and better treatment for migraine pain, Chiropractic Neurology is gaining ground. Once challenged by some in the medical community, new studies are showing that indeed many patients are benefitting from this type of care. Dr Peter Tuchin created a clinical trial as part of his PhD program at Macquarie University that showed positive results. In fact, seventy-two percent of the 123 migraine sufferers in the clinical trial experienced notable or substantial improvement after a period of chiropractic treatment, in some cases alleviating 60 percent or more of their symptoms, all without drugs. As studies continue, treatment through the use of Chiropractic Neurology is showing more and more success and better and better promise.
If you are interested in finding out more about how Chiropractic Neurology may be right for you, please contact Dr. Marc Eliis and his team at the Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center today.