Sometimes people tell me they get ‘just their regular headaches’ and it always surprises me.
The idea that headaches are just part of regular, normal life, isn’t normal at all!
A healthy body doesn’t have head pain unless there is a reason behind it. Headaches can be caused by a variety of things such as dehydration, food sensitivities, environmental toxins, hormonal changes, infections, and of course — muscle strains and spinal subluxations.
You can read this blog post on headaches and how chiropractic spinal adjustments can offer relief, but I want to highlight some new research that continues to show the benefits of chiropractic care to support relief.
What New Research Says About Migraines and Chiropractic Care
A group of Harvard researchers teamed up with chiropractors inside a hospital to co-manage migraine patients. In their study, published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine, the researchers followed three migraine patients who were treated collaboratively by a neurologist and a chiropractor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Each patient struggled with chronic migraines and neck or jaw pain. Instead of simply adding more medications, the neurologist referred them to an on-site chiropractor for a full-scope, non-pharmacologic approach. This chiropractic care for migraines included spinal adjustments, soft-tissue therapy, posture and exercise guidance, and ergonomic/lifestyle advice.
All three cases saw measurable improvements:
- Reduced headache frequency and intensity
- Increased pain-free days
- Decreased medication use
- Improved mood and daily function
And — no adverse events were reported. Not one!
The researchers concluded that Chiropractic care targeting the neck, jaw, and upper back significantly reduced migraine symptoms, and that co-management helped patients reduce reliance on drugs while improving quality of life.
Sounds good right? It’s the kind of results that many of us see with our patients as well.
If you’re dealing with ‘your regular headaches’ maybe it’s time to rethink them, and try a new approach to finding relief?
If Chiropractic care is new to you, consider booking a complimentary consultation with Dr. Melissa Longo to get started. Although not diagnostic, often these ‘meet the doctor’ visits alleviate concerns and give people a chance to have their questions answered prior to booking an assessment, making the experience more comfortable.
