June is Migraine Awareness Month.
Migraines occur when the brain is overstimulated, with more than 20% of Australians experience migraines. They can feel like a strong, throbbing headache, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sounds, blurred vision, balance troubles and fatigue (1).
What triggers a migraines?
Triggers refer to what event leads to a migraine attack developing (2). These are different for each person but can include:
- Environmental triggers such as weather changes, smoke, heat, loud noises, strong smells, and bright or flickering lights.
- Feeling stressed.
- Too much or too little sleep.
- Caffeine.
- Particular foods.
- Hormonal changes (such as during a menstrual cycle).
What can help?
Keeping track of what happens leading up to an event can be helpful to find any patterns that indicate the trigger. Keeping a stable lifestyle and ensuring plenty of sleep and regular exercise can help to reduce migraine frequency or severity (2).
What can chiropractic do?
Chiropractic adjustments can help to prevent or ease the onset of a migraine. These adjustments reduce stress levels within the body, which is a common trigger for migraine attacks. Incorrect spinal alignment can irritate the nerves in your spine which travel to your brain (1). Easing this irritation can reduce the frequency of migraine attacks and reduce the severity of them.
Book in with us here or call 9651 5559 to discuss treatments for migraines.
Find more of our health tips blogs here.
Resources:
(1) Essentials of Life Chiropractic. Dealing with headaches and migraines. https://www.elcmn.com/headaches-migraines/
(2) Migraines Australia. 2021. Migraine basics. https://www.migraine.org.au/migraine_basics