Anyone who suffers from frequent migraines can attest to their debilitating effects.  Common symptoms include sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and crippling pain, making it difficult to complete even normal daily activities. Thirty-one percent of migraine sufferers surveyed have missed work in the past three months due to an episode, while an overwhelming fifty-nine percent admit to missing family or social engagements.  So what can you do to start taking your life back?

A definitive cause for migraines has not yet been determined, but it is believed that a majority are brought on—or made worse--by stress and tension.  Stress reduction and relaxation techniques have been proven particularly effective in these cases.

Chiropractic Care

Whether or not chiropractic treatment is beneficial in the relief of migraine pain has long been debated.  However, most studies suggest that spine manipulation is an effective treatment. The Department of Chiropractic at Macquarie University in Australia conducted a study of one hundred twenty-seven migraine sufferers, ranging in age from ten to seventy-years-old. The participants underwent two months of spinal manipulation treatment (SMT).  Seventy-two percent of the participants showed a substantial reduction in the frequency and duration of migraines after SMT.  The study also found that more than eighty percent of the contributors believed stress to be a causative factor of their migraines.  One of the reasons that SMT may be a beneficial treatment is that it also reduces stress and induces relaxation. To learn more about chiropractic treatment, contact a company like Dimond Chiro. 

Yoga/Meditation

Other activities that reduce stress, such as yoga and meditation, have also been shown to help prevent migraines.  A small-scale study performed by the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center found that a specifically-designed meditation and yoga intervention, mindfulness-based stress reduction, helped diminish the amount and severity of migraines that participants incurred.  Those who practiced meditation at least five days a week for forty-five minutes reported 1.4 fewer migraines each month. The migraines that they did experience were much less severe in nature.   

Aerobic Exercise 

Aerobic exercise that is not overly strenuous works well in the prevention of migraine pain.  Regularly participating in physical activity such as walking, cycling, and swimming can greatly reduce your stress and help with pain management.  Aerobic exercise increases endorphin's, natural painkillers that are produced in your body, helping decrease stress and discomfort.  Aerobic exercise also increases circulation, which further reduces migraines.

There are many prescriptions used in the treatment of migraines, but each comes with its own set of side effects.  Stress-reduction is the best natural treatment for the prevention of migraines.  Living with regular migraine pain is a miserable way to live, and millions seek relief daily. If you are one of these millions, applying basic stress-management techniques can greatly increase your productivity and quality of life.

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