How to manage migraines
Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause a number of troubling symptoms, including debilitating headaches.
Research (1) shows that around 8.3% of Canadians — that’s 2.7 million people — have been diagnosed with migraine and that more women than men suffer from this condition.
If you suffer from migraines, read on to know more about this condition and what treatment is available.
What exactly is migraine?
- When most people think of migraines, they imagine the severe headaches that are one of their varied symptoms.
But there is more to this condition than headaches alone. It’s actually a neurological disease with a wide spectrum of other signs, including:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Aversion to light and noise
- Seeing flashing lights
- Other visual disturbances such as blind spots and temporary loss of vision
- Tingling skin
- Changes in speech
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Changes in taste and smell
The symptoms listed above are sometimes described as “aura” and can precede a severe headache, which often occurs on one side of the head.
Attacks may last a few hours or could even span days. After a migraine attack, the patient is likely to feel tired, lethargic, and low in mood.
Avoiding triggers
To manage migraines, many sufferers try to avoid the triggers that can spark an episode.
Migraine triggers (2) include:
- Bright lights
- Loud noises
- Extreme weather conditions or changes in the weather
- Dehydration
- Changes in levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone
- Stress
- Sensitivity to certain foods and smells
- Smoking
- Alcohol
If you have migraine attacks, your doctor may have prescribed you migraine medications or hormone therapy if your episodes are related to estrogen and progesterone levels
How to manage migraines naturally
You may also wish to seek out drug-free migraine treatment, including acupuncture, meditation, or relief of headaches with cooling products.
Osteopathy is another natural solution to migraines. It involves gentle manipulation of the musculoskeletal system, including the spine, to relieve symptoms and boost the overall health and well-being of the patient.
It’s a safe and tried-and-tested treatment, as evidenced in this review of literature on the subject (3), which found osteopathy to be a useful and tailored treatment for migraine headaches with minimal side effects.
Osteopathy in Calgary for migraine symptoms
If you’d like to try safe and effective osteopathy for your migraine symptoms at our clinic in Calgary, reach out to our friendly team.
Our experienced osteopaths will be happy to talk you through how this gentle and natural treatment can help relieve the misery of migraine.
Call us at 403-814-0404 or book an appointment online at osteohealthcalgary.janeapp.com to learn more about managing migraine the natural way.
Approved by Indira Ravaeva. Manual Osteopath. Member of National Manual Osteopathic Society and Osteopathy Australia.
References
1. Ramage-Morin P, Gilmour H. ‘Prevalence of migraine in the Canadian household population,’ Health Reports, 2014 Jun;25(6):10-6.
2. Healthline website, ‘Everything You Want to Know About Migraine,’ October 27, 2021. https://www.healthline.com/health/migraine#causes
3. Whalen J, Yao S, Leder A. ‘A Short Review of the Treatment of Headaches Using Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment,’ Current Pain and Headache Reports, 2018 Oct 5;22(12):82. doi: 10.1007/s11916-018-0736-y.