Migraines are severe headaches that tend to occur multiple times per week, but they’re also more than just head pains. Migraines often begin suddenly and last anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours. The majority of people who suffer from migraines experience throbbing or pulsating pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, fatigue and/or dizziness. Fortunately, there are options available for chronic migraine treatment!
Let’s break down your top options for treatment that will deliver short- and long-term relief.
Types of Chronic Migraine Treatment Available at McWhorter CNR
There are a variety of treatments for chronic migraines. These include medications, physical therapy, neurofeedback, acupuncture, chiropractic care, GyroStim, nutritional counseling and more. Many of these treatments can be used alone or in combination with one another. Let’s examine these common treatments for chronic migraines.
Medications
The first line of defense against migraine attacks is typically medication. There are many different classes of drugs that have been shown to help treat migraine symptoms. Many prescription medications have been shown to be effective at treating and alleviating symptoms of chronic migraines. However, medications aren’t always enough and they can have adverse side effects; that's where alternative treatments come in. Alternative treatments help target the root cause of the migraine and work to prevent them from happening altogether; rather than covering up a symptom.
Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback therapy that uses EEG (electroencephalography) technology to monitor brain activity. This non-invasive therapy has been proven effective in treating chronic migraines by helping people learn how to better control their own brainwave activity. Neurofeedback works best when combined with other forms of treatment such as exercise, stress management techniques and diet changes.
Chiropractic Care
A chiropractor will use his hands to manipulate your spine and joints to restore proper alignment. This helps relieve pressure on the nervous system and reduces inflammation. It’s additionally worth noting that chiropractic care can greatly benefit migraine pains when the proper techniques are applied.
GyroStim
GyroStim is an FDA approved device that is a computer-controlled, multi-axis rotating chair integrated with an interactive laser targeting system. Its technology and methodology are combined to create an advanced training system available for therapy, rehabilitation, and athletic performance enhancement strategies. It was originally developed to treat balance disorders but it has since been found to be useful in treating migraines and many other neurological issues.
Nutritional Counseling
Migraine sufferers often suffer from nutrient deficiencies. Nutrients like magnesium, vitamin B6, zinc, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids all play important roles in maintaining healthy blood flow and reducing inflammation. A good nutritionist can help you identify what nutrients you need and provide guidance on how to get them.
Work with McWhorter CNR for Your Chronic Migraine Treatment
With advances in the field of neuroscience, we now know much more about migraine headaches compared to previous decades. Migraine headaches often occur for no apparent reason; however, there may be several causes or triggers. We still don't fully understand why they happen. We don't yet know why people get migraine headaches. But we do know that they're most often caused by fluctuations in their brain functions. The result is an extremely incapacitating neurological symptoms of migraines.
Migraine headaches cause an increased stress level in your brain, which then increases your sympathetic nervous system responses while reducing your parasympathetic nervous system responses. These responses trigger an imbalanced state in your brain that leads to negative emotions and physical symptoms. When your migraines occur more frequently, your brain has a harder time readjusting and normalizing. If you suffer from migraines often enough, you're more likely to benefit from new treatments for chronic migraines.
At McWhorter CNR, we can develop a custom treatment plan to address your migraines that integrates many of the therapies outlined above. We’ll even explore additional therapies and treatment options that may benefit your migraine symptoms.
Let McWhorter Help You
Schedule an appointment today and get started with your personalized chronic migraine treatment in Denver.