A recent study from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minnesota, compared chiropractic manipulation to amitriptyline, a commonly prescribed antidepressant used to treat migraines.
There are two main theories about the causes of migraines. One theory is that migraines are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain and may be triggered by food, hormones, stress, or other environmental factors. These triggers can cause the blood vessels in the brain to dilate, inflaming the vessels and irritating the surrounding nerve fibers, causing pain. The second theory is that migraines originate in the spine. A subluxation, or misalignment of the vertebrae, can irritate the nerves the run from the spinal cord all the way to the brain. When a chiropractor realigns the vertebrae and relieves the subluxation, the pressure on the inflamed nerves is reduced and the headaches can be relieved.
In the study, chiropractic care and amitriptyline were shown to have similar short term effects. However, the drug caused adverse reactions in 82% of the patients, and no adverse reactions were reported from those only receiving chiropractic care. The long term effects demonstrated in this study showed that people receiving the chiropractic adjustments showed less frequency and severity of headaches, while those only taking the medication returned to the same state as before the study – experiencing painful migraines.
For more information on treating chronic migraines or dealing with migraine symptoms, consider a Montgomery chiropractor. Montgomery chiropractic clinics, such as Health Star Chiropractic, may be able to treat your pain and help you toward a full recovery.