Migraines are one of the most commonly debilitating conditions in the
world, affecting 20% of the population.
Those who have suffered at least one, with any combination of the
hallmark Migraine symptoms ranging from pain to sensitivity to light and/or
sound to nausea to vomiting to visual disturbances to numbness or tingling to
clumsiness to having difficulty communicating, etc., can vouch for how it takes
over your world from when it hits to when it goes away.
In a single word, Migraines are awful.
They are also one of the most aggravating conditions to treat through
traditional medical options, as drugs used to combat symptoms are potentially
dangerous and can cause a whole host of side effects, including increasing the
likelihood of more consistent Migraine episodes.
As with most complicated matters, part of the frustration over the
prevalence of Migraines is a lack of understanding as to what causes them. While many triggers have been discovered –
caffeine, cigarette smoke, excessive light or sound, fatigue, certain foods,
head trauma, hormonal changes, hunger, poor sleeping posture, stress, and
weather changes among them – the causes
largely remain a mystery; and, without knowing the causes, treatment programs
are predominantly designed either around stopping Migraine symptoms after they
have already been triggered or prophylactically taking medications.
Years ago, Dr. Seymour Diamond, Executive Director of the National
Headache Foundation, identified what he believed to be perhaps the root cause
of Migraine Headaches: a malfunction in the nervous system’s hub, the
brainstem. Using advanced imaging, he
mapped neurologic activity throughout the brain and the brainstem before,
during, and after Migraine attacks.
Before a trigger was introduced, the brainstem was overactive. Once the trigger was introduced, there were
spikes across the board, consistent in the brainstem as before and also in
various parts of the brain. Imitrex was
then introduced via injection and, although the turmoil reduced throughout the
brain as Migraine symptoms decreased, the brainstem remained overactive.
After subsequent follow-up studies, Dr. Diamond concluded that the
drugs used to suppress Migraine symptoms were not affecting the brainstem and
that the brainstem remaining overactive was the reason that symptoms were so
prone to return even after drug therapy.
The research begged the question: if the brainstem malfunctioning
causes Migraines, what causes the brainstem to malfunction and, then, what if
anything can be done to correct it?
Given that the brainstem is located where the head converges with the
neck, a misalignment in the Upper Cervical spine quite commonly affects the
brainstem’s function. The brainstem is
the control center of the body responsible for the regulation of pain
perception, breathing, heart-rate, balance, blood pressure, digestion, and the
expanding and contracting of blood vessels; when it malfunctions, it provokes a
state of crisis throughout the body and prompts the blood vessels surrounding
the brain to swell, laying the foundation for one of the aforementioned
triggers to set off a Migraine.
Upper Cervical spinal misalignments have been shown through a variety
of clinical trials to be underlying causes of several vascular conditions,
Migraines, Hypertension, and Multiple Sclerosis among them. The primary reason why these misalignments
occur is physical traumas, particularly those associated with the head and/or
neck. Traumas occur throughout our
lives, from the birthing process to the thousands of falls we incur during
youth to sports injuries to bike wrecks to major falls to car accidents. When the upper neck vertebrae consequently
misalign, the brainstem’s ability to normally regulate internal functions is
impaired and the vertebral arteries which run through tiny openings on either
side of the vertebrae can be compressed, decreasing the blood and oxygen supply
to the brain and preventing the veins that drain fluid in the brain from
working the way that they are supposed to.
Fortunately, these misalignments can be precisely identified and
safely corrected by an Upper Cervical Practitioner, who uses specific
diagnostic imaging to discover the complexities of the problem and who expertly
sets the vertebrae back into their proper positions, removing the irritation to
the brainstem and restoring proper blood flow to and from the brain in order to
decrease and often eliminate the principal cause of Migraines.
Kimberly Bostic, a Triad resident, stated the following about her
experience with Upper Cervical Care: “Since I began my treatment in January
2011, I have suffered approximately 4 or 5 Migraines. I had a Migraine at least monthly, if not
more frequently, for almost 30 years. In
my mid-20s, I became aware that I could predict most precipitation-related
weather events rather accurately because of my Migraines. The first time that it rained after the
correction that put things right, I was thoroughly shocked to watch the news
and see the radar indicated it was raining outside.”
“Thirty four years ago and pregnant with my first
child, I experienced what I now know to be a Migraine,” Jan T. recalled about
her history with the life-altering condition.
“I [saw] medical doctors, neurologists, and chiropractors. I have had x-rays, MRIs and a list of
neurological tests – all of which showed nothing of concern. I tried numerous medications and injections
(as needed and preventative), but continued to experience Migraines. [Learning] about how misaligned upper
cervical vertebrae can affect the entire body system made complete sense to
me.” She said of her work with an Upper
Cervical Practitioner that “the headaches have [become] much less frequent and
intense” and that she “highly recommends” Upper Cervical Care.
When Gwen Brown first visited an Upper Cervical Practitioner, she had
become increasingly miserable and frustratingly unsure as to the reason why.
“My diagnosis was very unclear but ER doctors and a Neurologist were calling it
anywhere from a weird Migraine to the possibility of MS,” she said. “After one [Upper Cervical correction], my
focus began to improve and my chronic Migraines went away along with the stress
of anticipating surgery or life-long drugs to manage my condition. This
completely changed my life.”
Finding the cause is the key.
If you or someone you know has been plagued by Migraines, encourage them
to see an Upper Cervical Practitioner who will not only pinpoint the cause but
correct it as well. Upper Cervical Care
is restoring the health and function of thousands of people who were sick and
tired of being sick and tired, suffering from conditions like Migraines.
Sources: The National Institute of Health; The National Headache
Foundation
Dr. Chad McIntyre owns and operates the Triad Upper Cervical Clinic in Kernersville. Specializing in Upper Cervical Care, his office emphasizes a proactive, goal-oriented approach to health rooted in strong patient education. If you would like to learn more about Upper Cervical Care, visit www.triaduppercervical.com or call 336-992-2536 to schedule a consultation.
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