Research Shows Chiropractic Can Help Migraines

Migraine headaches are very common. In fact, they affect 38 million people in the United States alone. 13% of all adults suffer from migraines and of those, between two and three million get chronic migraines.

The problem with the most commonly-prescribed medications is that they cause some unpleasant side effects. The side effects may include: Nausea, Vomiting, Dizziness, Drowsiness, Rapid Heartbeat, Depression, Addiction and even Headaches!

It’s easy to make a claim that a particular treatment or medication can relieve symptoms. What’s not so easy is to back the claim up with research. In the case of chiropractic care and migraine symptoms, there is research available to support the idea that getting spinal adjustments can relieve migraines.

One study looked at the impact of chiropractic treatment on 127 volunteers between the ages of 10 and 70. The people in the study group were given spinal manipulative treatments and asked to keep a standard headache diary over a six-month period.

At the end of the study, the volunteers in the study group experienced a greater reduction in their migraine symptoms than those in the control group. 22% experienced a 90% reduction in the severity of their symptoms, while another 50% reported significant improvements.  Than means 72% of people experienced AT LEAST a significant improvement in symptoms.

The researchers concluded that there was ample reason to believe that receiving regular chiropractic adjustments could provide relief to migraine sufferers.

If you would like to learn more, these research articles also conclude that chiropractic can be helpful for migraine sufferers.  

1. Chiropractic: In Depth. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Available at https://nccih.nih.gov/health/chiropractic/introduction.htm. Accessed 5/22/18.
2. Posadzki P, Ernst E. Spinal manipulations for the treatment of migraine: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Cephalalgia. 2011 June;31(8):964-970.
3. Chaibi A, Tuchin PJ, Russel MB. Manual therapies for migraine: a systematic review. J of Headache and Pain. 2011 Apr;12(2):127-133.
4.  ^{Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014; 37: 42-63.}
5. ^{Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011; 34: 274-89.}