Are there Natural Migraine Treatments?
Many people in the country suffer from chronic migraine pain. When symptoms become unbearable, some people take pain medication to manage it. However, in chronic cases, pain medicine only means a slight pause from otherwise persistent pain. At RxWellness Arlington, we aim to use natural care to go beyond symptom management and instead focus on getting to the root of migraine pain. We use chiropractic care to provide natural migraine treatments, and we favor drug-free techniques like dry needling to manage the source of migraine pain.
What Causes Migraines?
Oftentimes migraines manifest themselves as symptoms of deeper issues, and many triggers may prompt someone to reach for the Ibuprofen. Triggers that may range from diet to stress, or fall anywhere in between. For example, someone might endure a mild migraine after a fun night out with friends, and so long as they keep future night outs simple, a pain killer might be all they need. Then there are other people who suffer from chronic migraines, and putting the drink down might not be enough to keep the migraines away. This can be the result of a deeper, more complicated issue. Some underlying issue that might contribute to chronic migraines are:
- Stress
- Salty or processed foods
- Caffeine
- Hormonal changes in women
- Tightness of muscles around the base of the neck
Keep A Migraine Journal.
If you experience chronic migraines, it is recommended that you keep a migraine journal for your records. It would be beneficial to show one to your doctor to help them make a firm diagnosis. You should record the date and time the migraines started, how often they occur, and describe where the pain is and how it feels. Make note of what you were doing before it started, what pain medication you took(if any), and how long it lasted. It would also be helpful to document your meals before an episode sets in, as well as anything you believe might have contributed to the symptoms.
Natural Migraine Treatments
If stress is the cause of migraines, then practicing relaxation techniques might help alleviate the symptoms. Reducing stressors in your daily life and adding massage treatments may help diminish migraine pain. Lavender plants can also work as a natural migraine treatment for some people dealing with symptoms as a result of stress. It has been suggested that lavender essential oils can act as a natural sedative and alleviate migraine headaches when added to boiling water and inhaled (do not drink lavender essential oils). Lavender essential oils can also be applied topically to the temples or base of the skull to alleviate pain. Sometimes changing your diet can also decrease the occurrence of migraines, but it is important to understand why the migraines are occurring before attempting to treat them.
Dry Needling & How RxWellness Can Help
One possible cause of chronic migraines could be poor posturing that leads to painful trigger points. This is called cervicogenic headache, and it happens when tight muscles around the neck and base of the skull develop painful knots that send pain throughout different areas of the head. The pulling at the base of the neck causes pain throughout the head in areas like the temples or behind the eyes. This pulling can also contribute to neck misalignment, which causes even more strain and painful triggers points on the muscles. Dry Needling can be a very effective natural migraine treatment because it not only relieves migraine symptoms, but it also treats the root cause of the problem. Once the cause of the migraine is treated symptoms might disappear altogether.
Dry Needling works by directly targeting trigger points and allowing them to release tension and relax. Once the needles connect with painful knots in the neck, there will be a small contraction in the target area. This causes a chemical change that releases tension, increases blood flow, and allows for muscle healing. This approach attempts to target the root cause of migraines by removing the knots that are referring pain to various regions of the head. Our doctors at RxWellness Arlington provide excellent chiropractic care to alleviate painful trigger points and allow the muscles in the neck to relax. Allowing the muscles to relax, will also give your neck a chance to regain proper alignment and alleviate cervicogenic headaches with a drug-free approach.
Contact RxWellness for Natural Migraine Treatments
Chronic migraines are not easy to live with, especially in cases where they cause sensitivity to light or sound. This can make it difficult to enjoy some of the more exciting things in life, like rock concerts or laser light shows. At RxWellness Arlington, we believe natural migraine treatments are an effective way of dealing with some of the root problems contributing to migraine pain. Our doctors are very skilled at dry needling and can administer excellent chiropractic care to help resolve referred pain that contributes to chronic migraines. If you have any questions please give us a call at 1+(703) 904 9666 or book an appointment online.
