Chiropractor for Migraines (I Became a Chiropractor Because of This!)

Local Denver Chiropractor, migraine relief, migraine fix, migraine treatement, Centennial chiropractor, chiropractor near me, chiropractic migraine relief, Greenwood Village chiropractor

Migraines got you feeling desperate?

A chiropractor for migraines near you can help.

Chiropractic for migraine relief is so helpful, even if you’ve tried everything for these types of headaches.

According to the Migraine Research Foundation, 1 in 4 households suffer with migraines.  Breaking down into 12% of the worldwide population that suffers with migraines.

And if we threw in all the other types of headaches, the amount of people dealing with this type of pain would be even larger.

People who are looking to get rid of migraines often end up using some sort of medication or drug meant to treat migraines.

Sometimes, the medication works to relieve the pain, other times it doesn’t.  But medications are never a true cure for migraines.

Instead, they are simply a short-term band aid.

As a local Denver chiropractor for migraines (who also overcame them) I think it’s important people understand the true nature of their problem.

I suffered from migraines. Actually, I dealt with a more serious headache known as cluster headaches. Now, most experts would tell you it’s impossible to cure cluster headaches.  And, I don’t disagree.  Maybe a person never officially overcomes them. However, since my life-changing visit to a chiropractor over 15-years ago, cluster headaches no longer play a role in my life.

There are a few things I discovered on my journey to get relief from headaches.

  1. Migraines are not the real problem.
  2. There are 5-core problems that contribute to headache pain.

To get lasting migraine relief, it takes more than a preventative or abortive medication like sumatriptan.  It’s more than just avoiding certain food triggers.

If we were to look at migraines for what they are – superficial symptoms that occur after the threshold has been breached, then the ideal analogy would be a red solo cup.  Fill the cup up with enough water and eventually it overflows.  Now, replace the water with the 5-core problems, or stressors.  And imagine when the cup overflows, it triggers a migraine.

Now, what are the five stressors that cause a migraine headache?

  1. Emotional Hardship
  2. Lack of Movement/Improper Movement
  3. Poor Nutrition
  4. Inadequate sleep
  5. Unhealthy Spine/Nervous System

When it comes to migraine pain relief, I find that most people overestimate how important their diet is, and don’t realize how critical their emotional health, spinal health, and sleep are in their headaches.

Coming to terms with the fact that some people are predetermined to have migraine pain is important.  However, if enough is done to limit the exposure to the different stressors and problems listed above, then migraines typically improve.

While all the factors may play some role, in this article, I’m going to focus my attention on the spine and surrounding tissues.  After all, as a local chiropractor near Denver, it’s my job to address these parts of the body.

As I mentioned before, the spine is one of the most forgotten elements in achieving lasting relief from migraines.

When it comes to spinal involvement with a migraine, I’ve found there to be a very common theme.  In a person with a healthy neck or cervical spine, there should be a curve found.  The curve should bow out towards the front of the body.  You can see what this looks like in the image below. 

cervical curve, chiropractic, posture, spinal health, chiropractor near me

In most migraine sufferers, I’ve discovered they’ve lost the healthy and natural curve.  Sometimes, the neck is straight up and down, sometimes it has gone so far as to form a reverse curve and kink the spinal cord.  The image below shows an abnormal neck.  It’s not pretty.

reverse cervical curve, chiropractic Centennial, Centennial chiropractor

In these situations, Neuro-Structural chiropractic is recommended and even necessary to improve the health of the spine.

This is not the only way the spine can contribute to headaches and migraines.  For example, according to recent research, most migraines have a common factor that originates in the top 3-vertebrae in the neck.

Here’s the takeaway: when there’s a problem in the structure of the neck, there will also be issues with the soft tissue surrounding it.  This may lead to pain, discomfort, and other symptoms.  And the possibility for migraine relief is low.

For effective migraine treatment, it’s important to address both the spine and soft tissue.

When discussing soft tissue and structure, the spine is the foundational layer.  The muscles, tendons, and ligaments attach to it.  Therefore, if there is a core problem with the spine that goes left untouched, complete correction is impossible, and the soft tissue nearby will continue to be imbalanced.  That said, there is some short-term relief that can be achieved by addressing the soft tissues.

There are typically tight and tender spots in the neck that need to be massaged and stripped down.  The two muscles that commonly affect migraine sufferers are the SCM and Levator Scapulae.  These 2-muscles play a large role in generating pain and trigger points that affect the head.

If you’d like to see how to perform the massage for migraine relief, check out the recent video we created:

The Sternocleidomastoid muscle attaches at the base of the skull and runs down to the clavicle.

muscle to massage for relief from migraines
Source: https://www.yoganatomy.com/sternocleidomastoid-muscle/

While the Levator Scapulae originates at the top 3 vertebrae in the neck.  Then it attaches to the top of the shoulder blade.

muscle to massage for migraine relief
Source: https://www.yoganatomy.com/levator-scapulae-muscle/

Ultimately, massaging these muscles is not a permanent fix, but will help you get relief from migraines.  It’s important to break down all the tight and tender nodules that are found in the muscle belly to help you achieve relief.

The true solution lies in addressing the 5-core problems that could contribute to migraines.  Once each issue is corrected, the likelihood for headaches goes down dramatically.

As a Neuro-Structural chiropractor for migraines in Centennial (South of Denver Metro), I have seen hundreds of headache and migraine cases improve in my office.

Most of them started on some sort of migraine medication but understood that was not the answer.  The only way to true freedom is to do the hard work, over, and over, and over again.

If you’re suffering looking for migraine relief, set up a consultation with our office at Prime Chiropractic, and let’s see if we’re a good fit.  You can book your first appointment online.