Recent research reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in helping patients with chronic migraines. The research reports on a woman with a 12-year-history of suffering from migraines.
“Research is revealing that structural shifts in spinal alignment and the nerve obstruction they cause may be a factor in a number of disorders and can result in a host of health problems including migraines because the body’s homeostatic mechanism is thrown off” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. Other chiropractic researchers have reported on similar results in regards to migraines and chiropractic.
McCoy added “Vascular headaches signify a blood flow issue in the brain. If you damage or compress or otherwise interfere with the neurological structures in the spine this can have far reaching implications on the functioning of the body. Through research reports like this we are finding that correcting the structural abnormalities associated with these spinal problems reduces the nerve obstructions and people experience improvement. In this study it was resolution of chronic migraines.”
The woman in this case study had been suffering from migraines for 12 years. The migraines occurred four times a week and were so severe they would leave her bedridden for days. The migraines would cause vision disturbances, vomiting, nausea, teeth grinding, spasms, and jaw tremors. She could not care for her family or even take care of her own personal hygiene during these episodes. She also suffered from visual disturbances and neck pain. Medications did not help her.
The chiropractor examined her and found structural shifts in her upper neck. She had postural changes, pain, and tight muscles in her neck and upper back. X-rays and other testing confirmed these findings. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following upper cervical chiropractic care, she experienced complete resolution of her symptoms.
The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this patient population.
To read more about this study, and other chiropractic research, visit Vertebral Subluxation Research.
