Alternative Care May Be Effective in Treating Migraines
If you’re one of the 28 million Americans who suffer from migraines, you know that the effects can be debilitating. Different from normal tension headaches, migraines are usually concentrated on one side of the head, involve pounding pain, and are sometimes accompanied by nausea and/or sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. The headaches can also last anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days. However, there is hope for the sufferers who do not respond to medication. Alternative techniques like acupuncture and chiropractic treatment have been proven to work in some cases.
In one study involving acupuncture published in the British Medical Journal, researchers divided 401 adults with chronic, mostly migraine headaches into two groups. One group received up to 12 acupuncture sessions over a 3-month period in addition to standard medical care, and the other group received only medical care. A year later it was determined that those who received the additional acupuncture care experienced 22 fewer days with headaches, used 15% less medication, and made 25% fewer visits to their doctor.
As for chiropractic treatment, there are two different methods - “straight” chiropractic and “mixed” chiropractic. Straight chiropractors treat migraines by manipulating the spine to correct imbalances, and the mixed chiropractic technique combines manipulation with other therapies, like ultrasound or electric muscle stimulation, that all focus on relieving tension in the neck muscles. An Australian study, that involved chronic migraine sufferers who’d experienced headaches for a collective average of 18 years, concluded that 72% of participants experienced either “substantial” or “noticeable” improvement after a six-month period of chiropractic treatment.
Since many people who suffer from migraines have had them for years, they may develop a resistance to medications that have worked in the past, or simply may want to stop taking medicine. Luckily, there seem to be alternative treatments that might work.
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