|
Osteopathy & Migraine
 Back to List
Migraine
The three most important aspects for the therapist and patient to consider when treating migraine headaches are: - Ensure that the diagnosis is correct.
- Ensure that the medication is appropriate and being used correctly.
- Ensure that the patient's lifestyle helps, rather than hinders recovery.
Diagnosis
The most common types of long standing, periodic head pain are tension headaches, cluster headache and migraine . It is important for your GP to rule out any other problems that can cause head pain, then to make a correct diagnosis between these three.
Migraine has many features that do not occur in tension or cluster headaches:
- It often causes pain on one side of the head
- There may be visual disturbances, such as flashing or coloured lights, that occur before the headache begins.
- There may be nausea or vomiting
- There may be pins and needles or weakness in one half of the body.
- There may be sensitivity to bright light.
The patient may be pale, sweating and eventually only able to lie down in a darkened room. Tiredness is common and some people feel weakened for a day or so after the attack. Migraines frequently occur during periods of relaxation, so weekends and the first few days of a holiday are common times for attacks.
Medication
Most prescribed medication aims to relieve the symptoms by addressing the blood supply, either trying to prevent attacks or reduce the severity of symptoms once they occur. Initially, these drugs can be very helpful but they sometimes lose their effectiveness after a period of use. When this happens, sufferers tend to increase their dose. Unfortunately, this can make the problem worse, since headaches are one of the main side effects of many of these drugs.
Lifestyle
Migraine sufferers often exhibit other imbalances associated with digestion, hormones or the liver. Subtle variations in the symptoms can indicate where these imbalances lie, giving a clue as to how the lifestyle can be changed to reduce the severity and frequency of attacks.
- If the headaches are triggered by foods, such as red wine, chocolate or shellfish and if there is nausea or vomiting during an attack, then there is likely to be an underlying digestive imbalance.
- If migraines occur during times of stress or emotional upset and are accompanied by irritability or visual disturbances, there is likely to be an imbalance in liver function. These headaches can also be aggravated by the contraceptive pill or may occur during menstruation.
Neck stiffness and jaw joint dysfunction can also contribute to migraine. As well as lifestyle changes, consider seeing your osteopath to help identify and correct any underlying imbalances that are causing your headaches.
Links:
Migraine Action
Back to List
If you require any further information or wish to discuss any problems you may have, please contact the Church Street Practice on 01225 868282, or book in for a free 15 minute consultation.
|
