
Posted in
About Upper Cervical Chiropractic
Migraine
Migraine Headache
Migraine Headaches
on Jul 10, 2018
Migraine associated vertigo
A migraine can be defined as the presence of a recurring, throbbing and severe headache which lasts between 4 hours and 3 days. It usually begins as a hemicrania pain that later spreads to both sides of the head.According to the Migraine Research Foundation (MRF), migraine is the third most prevalent disease worldwide, affecting approximately a 12% of population. In fact, it is considered that at least 1 of every 4 households in the United States of America has a member (or more) who has been diagnosed with this condition.The migraine is also included in this statistic as the sixth most disabling disease. This is because although most people experience attacks once or twice a month, others experience severe attacks at least 15 times per month, which really affects their capability to work or carrying out a social life without problems.Migraine associated vertigo is a very common condition in women between 20 and 40 years old and the experts say that it might be closely related to upper spine conditions, such as misalignment.It is very common for patients with migraine to refer nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and/or sound, fatigue and even the presence of an aura (like seeing colored lights or feeling numbness of the hands) before the headache. In this sense, more than 40% of patients with a migraine refer dizziness or loss of balance during the pain attacks, which is called migraine-associated vertigo (MAV).Chiropractors have the theory that, as the spine has the function to protect the spinal cord, any abnormality in its alignment or function alters the sending of messages from and to the central nervous system. This condition is especially evident when the atlas (top bone of the spine) is out of alignment or has any abnormality which creates pressure in the spinal cord.This condition can cause many symptoms, including neck pain and a migraine. Likewise, the migraine caused by this mechanism will be associated with many neurological symptoms, including dizziness and, in consequence, it can be a cause of migraine associated vertigo.The current management of a migraine associated vertigo includes OTC (over-the-counter) or prescribed painkillers and anti-dizziness medication. However, this combination of medicines helps to manage the symptoms and the disease in the short term, but it does not help to prevent new pain attacks or treating the potential cause of the migraine. This is the same to say that it does not have a curative treatment.This fact explains why many specialists have looked for a more effective and longer lasting treatment and, among those specialists, the chiropractors are one of the most interested groups.For many years it has been known that Blair chiropracticBy downloading the ChiroWebMD mobile app you can better control your patient portal.
Leave a comment