Can a Chiropractor Treat Migraines?

Migraines are a painful kind of headache that can last for excessive periods of time and completely ruin your day (or week). From distracting your focus, to disrupting your routine, to making getting out of bed a challenge, those who suffer from migraines want nothing more than for them to end.

Chiropractors understand the nature of migraines. They offer numerous natural chiropractic solutions that can manage migraines and help reduce their frequency and severity. 

In this article, we’re detailing the ins and outs of migraine headaches and how working with your local chiropractor may be just what you need to find comfort and get and keep your migraines under control. 

What is a Migraine? 
Migraine headaches are one of the most common kinds of headaches. While science has yet to confirm why we get them, we do know that they have numerous triggers that cause changes in blood circulation and inflammation around the brain, leading to pain. 

Migraines can last for hours or days, making them stressful, taxing, and, oftentimes, debilitating. 


Migraine symptoms include:

• Varying degrees of pain: throbbing, intense, dull, aching
• Pounding or pulsing in the head
• Pain on one side of the head
• Ocular (visual) instability 
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and smell

These symptoms can occur for various reasons; common triggers include:

• Harsh light or noise
• Hormonal changes
• Seasonal changes
• Stress
• Certain foods and drinks
• Irregular sleep patterns
• Dehydration 

For most, the onslaught of a migraine provides specific tells, warning the person that it’s coming on. 


Natural ways to help reduce pain once a migraine starts include:

• Rest in a dark, quiet room
• Drape a cold cloth on your forehead and the back of the neck (and a warm cloth on your hands)
• Remove yourself from a stressful situation
• Discontinue drinking alcohol if your headache is starting while currently drinking 
• Drink water 
• Sleep

These tips can help with your migraine; however, getting more long-lasting solutions can be of better benefit, nurturing a healthy, pain-free body by treating the condition, not the symptoms. 

Chiropractic to Reduce Migraines 
Chiropractors offer safe, non-invasive, organic solutions to migraines and other kinds of headaches. Migraines can be effectively managed by using treatments that help the body find balance, reduce inflammation, improve blood and oxygen circulation, and reduce mental stress. 


Common chiropractic solutions for migraines include:

• Chiropractic adjustments ensure the joints are moving the way they should be
• Soft tissue therapies alleviate imbalances in the nerves, muscles, tendons, and ligaments
• Acupuncture helps energy move throughout the body, healing and restoring tissues and blood flow
• Massage therapy promotes the safe healing of affected tissues and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression as relaxation is garnered
• Exercise and stretching guidance based on the patient’s unique needs and goals will help keep the body safe, strong, and supportive
• Lifestyle guidance to promote overall well-being and keep migraines at bay
• And more

Focusing on the cause of your headache is imperative to implementing the right treatment strategy. Chiropractors rely on a comprehensive physical assessment of the body, never using pain-masking medications to end pain but rather putting a plan in place that treats the underlying injury.

Utilizing therapies that incorporate relaxation of the muscles, increased blood circulation, and stress relief, migraine headaches can be decreased in quantity and quality. 

In most cases, numerous chiropractic solutions will be combined with take-home insight, education, and exercises that complement one another for the fastest, safest recovery process. 

Visit Our Portland Migraine Chiropractor 
Your migraines have likely taken up a significant portion of your life. When suffering from these headaches, work, socializing, sleep, and physical activity all pay the price. Our experienced headache chiropractor is prepared to determine the cause of your migraines and design a wellness plan based around you and your needs. 

You don’t have to suffer from migraine pain; contact our team today, and let’s work together on a solution you feel confident with. You want to live your life comfortably and actively, and we want to ensure that happens.