Common migraine is a disorder involving recurrent headaches, which may be accompanied by symptoms other than headache but which rarely include a preliminary warning (called an aura).  Migraine headaches affect about 6 out of 100 people.  They are a common type of chronic headache.  They most commonly occur in women and usually begin between the ages of 10 and 46.  In some cases, they appear to run in families.  Migraines occur when blood vessels of the head and neck spasm or constrict, which decreases blood flow to the brain.  Minutes to hours later, the blood vessels dilate (enlarge), resulting in a severe headache.  Inflammation around the blood vessels also occurs in some cases.  Common migraine may be accompanied by symptoms other than headache but only rarely includes any preceding symptoms (aura).  Migraines may also appear as classic migraine (a migraine preceded by other symptoms) and other rare forms.  Multiple mechanisms trigger the spasm and subsequent blood vessel dilation.

Chiropractors view migraines as caused by pressure on nerve endings in the head resulting from a chemical or mechanical imbalance in the brain. Since the brain controls the entire body’s function by communication through the nervous system, any interference to this communication affects the body. If any spinal bones, which protect the nerves, get misaligned, there is a negative effect on the body’s systems. Muscles attached to spinal bones can overreact and become spastic and irritated because the nerves stretch and become traumatized. Headache pain can easily result from these imbalances.

By making sure the vertebrae are moving correctly, the muscles that support the head are relieved of stress and spasms. The pain is diminished as the structure of the spinal bones and muscles of the neck improves.

Chiropractic treatment can help eliminate migraine headaches by repositioning the cervical vertebrae (neck bones) and removing pressure on the nerve fibers that pass into the skull. Patients have reported being headache free within four to six treatments, including adjustments and massage of the muscles. Ergonomic changes are sometimes necessary to avoid reoccurrence of the headache causes.