“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 patient reported on in this study was a 35-year-old male suffering from chronic migraine headaches with neck pain and stiffness, low back pain, and difficulty sleeping. He also had sensations of pins and needles into the left shoulder. He had to stop going to the gym and needed help getting out of bed.

The chiropractor examined him, assessed his posture, took x-rays, and found structural shifts in his neck, mid and low back. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.

The man was adjusted by the chiropractor and he experienced complete resolution of his migraines and other symptoms following care. The study’s authors called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this population of patients.

To learn more about this study and chiropractic research, Vertebral Subluxation Research.