Migraine Prevention

Symptoms of a migraine are variable. Some come with nausea, aura, or arm pain, some don’t. Whatever the symptoms, your osteopath may be able to help you to manage them.

Causes of Migraine

Unfortunately the cause is not fully understood. There are two main schools of thought: vascular and neurological. Both nerves and vessels take a similar route over the head.

For blood vessels as a cause, the idea is that constriction of the vessels in the head leads to sudden dilation. This causes a spike in pressure within the head and causes the headache. It may be the constriction part that causes the aura. The neurological theory is that one part of the nervous system that you can’t voluntarily control gets overexcited. This unusual activity causes pain.

With either theory, there must still be a trigger. Other factors often reported as playing a role in migraines are:

• Hormonal changes
• Stress
• Dietary triggers

Other related areas

Osteopaths view and treat the body as a whole. We look for patterns and relationships between areas of dysfunction to get to the bottom of your pain. We know that there is a relationship between muscles of the upper back and migraine. Problems with the neck can play a role in headaches and migraines. There may also be a link for some people between problems with the jaw and headaches- although jaw problems are also related to the neck a lot of the time.

Managing Migraines with Osteopathy

Some people find that keeping the neck and shoulder muscles relaxed is a good way of reducing the frequency or intensity of migraine. In a similar vein, restriction in the upper neck joints is related to migraine too. Osteopaths can help with stiff joints through a few techniques, from gentle repetitive movement to more powerful “clicking” techniques. These joint manipulation techniques can be effective but also quite daunting, so know that we have plenty of options for you.

When we find what works for you, we can take it a step further. Exercises and advice to complement the work done in clinic can have a significant effect on symptoms. This can be particularly useful if you can apply these methods before a migraine fully takes hold.

Do you suffer from migraines? Make an appointment online to start making a change to your symptoms.