Migraines, or Headaches in general are a symptom that everyone has experienced at one point in their life. They are no fun and we like to get rid of them as fast as possible. The big problem is we rarely get to the cause of the headache, but instead just cover the symptom up with medications like Advil, Excedrin or Tylenol. The problem with doing this is that medications don't fix the cause of the problem and have devastating side effects on our liver, stomach and kidneys. Would you ignore the check engine light in your car? Of course not, it's a warning sign that something more serious could happen to your car if you don't address the cause. Headaches are often the first warning sign we receive that the body is under stress which could potentially lead to bigger problems.
As a Chiropractor, it is tempting to simplify the classification of conditions that fall into the "Headache" category. For over 100 years, our profession has been trying desperately to educate the public that while Chiropractic care is extremely effective for Neck Pain, Back Pain, and Headaches...they are really only a small piece of the type of treatments we have to offer our patients. We are well known for those 3 conditions, because we help so many people with them. Unless you are a Chiropractic enthusiast, you probably would question someone who recommended you take your 12 year old that still wets the bed to a Chiropractor for the bedwetting. You might scoff at a friend who is seeking relief from a Chiropractor for their asthma, allergies, or infertility.
The basic premise of Chiropractic is that your brain and entire nervous system are responsible for all communication that happens in your body. For your leg muscles to send a request to your lungs for more oxygen so you can continue to run that marathon, the message has to go to the brain first...and the spinal cord acts as the liaison between the brain and the body. If there is interference with those messages, things can go wrong in an either subtle or very serious way. Misalignments of the spine cause loss of motion in the joints of the spine. This loss of motion creates static interference at that level of the spine with the messages that are trying to get through there from the brain to the body and vice versa. If the interference is left untreated, poor communication between the brain and body will lead to dysfunction in the body and eventually manifest itself in symptoms. To exaggerate the idea - if I cut the nerves that goes from your spinal cord to your right arm, you would lose the ability to move it as well as lose all sensation to the arm. On a less exaggerated level, if there is persistent interference in the nerves that control your right arm muscles and sensation, you might have numbness and tingling, weakness, and decreased reflexes in that arm. Correcting the misalignment (in this scenario coming from the neck) would, over time, restore proper function to the arm provided no permanent damage had been sustained.
This is why I am not surprised when I read a research study on the effectiveness of Chiropractic Care for Migraines and they conclude that it is beneficial. A study done in 2000 by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, they concluded that "The results of this study support previous results showing that some people report significant improvement in migraines after chiropractic Spinal Manipulative Therapy. A high percentage (>80%) of participants reported stress as a major factor for their migraines. It appears probable that chiropractic care has an effect on the physical conditions related to stress and that in these people the effects of the migraine are reduced." We know that the stress response in the body increases NMDA receptor sensitivity. We also know that the chiropractic adjustment is one of the most effective ways to down-regulate NMDA receptor sensitivity. There are recent studies on the use of Ketamine (remember the nightclub drug "Special K"? Yep that's the one) for migraine sufferers. The action in Ketamine is to block the NMDA receptor sites, basically numbing you to the effects of stress. It's even being used to treat depression as well for the same reasons. When you start to compare the side effects of Ketamine and Chiropractic care, you begin to wonder why doctors that treat migraines do not first refer patients to Chiropractors before prescribing drugs. If you are still wondering why, let me clear it up for you...$$$$$$$$$.
Back to the issue of oversimplifying headaches...Chiropractic care addresses one major cause of any type of headache, but there are others. This is why no study out there shows a 100% resolution in headaches or migraines simply from Chiropractic Care. Because of the rise in gluten-sensitivity, we know that gluten can be a source of many types of headaches including migraines. A completely gluten-free diet for about 2-3 weeks can give you the answer as to whether or not gluten is the culprit. It's a small sacrifice to make for a lifetime of relief. Food Allergies of other types can contribute to headaches as well. Food Sensitivity testing can narrow down possible sources of food causing your headaches.
In addition to food, environmental toxins are a growing cause of migraines. Those sensitive to mold (about 26% of the population has a genetic weakness to mold and are incapable of processing mold toxins) tend to get headaches within minutes of entering a room with mold in it. When I moved my family from Florida recently, we found mold all over the air chambers of our Sleep Number mattress when I was preparing to pack it up in the truck. Both my wife and I are in that 26% and who knows how long we were sleeping on that (the air chambers are encased in several coverings that showed no signs of mold so it is hard to detect it). It does explain the relapse in migraines my wife had during her pregnancy up until we got rid of that mattress. I also recall an increase in headache frequency for myself despite both of us being under regular chiropractic care.
Mold is just one of the culprits, pthalates in almost any personal care product, benzene and toluene in fragrances, exposure to heavy metals like aluminum, mercury, and lead can all lead to headaches. Toxins play a major role in disease today. They complicate diagnosis because most doctors are not factoring them in the equation. This is why I screen for toxicity before implementing any treatment plan for a patient. If toxicity is the problem, no therapy you try will ever completely resolve the problem.
A solid approach for addressing the cause of any kind of headache is to begin with the Cellular Healing Diet in conjunction with Chiropractic care. If after 2 weeks, there is no improvement or only minor improvement, a toxicity screening should be completed to determine the source of toxicity and appropriate method of detox.
Read the JMPT Study Here
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