Headaches are more likely to occur when you’re stressed. Stress is a common trigger of tension-type headaches and migraine, and can trigger other types of headaches or make them worse.
It’s often the everyday irritants — searching for lost papers, sitting in traffic, tolerating petty annoyances at work — that may erode your ability to cope. For some people, this triggers headaches.
Responding to these daily stressors by tensing your muscles, grinding your teeth or stiffening your shoulders may only make your headaches worse.(Source)
In a study by Kelman of 1,750 patients diagnosed with migraine, 76% of the participants reported having triggers. Nine percent of patients experienced triggers very frequently, 27% experienced triggers frequently, and 40% of patients encountered triggers occasionally. In addition, 80% of respondents reported stress as a trigger for migraine, making it the most common trigger. (Source)
Migraine and stress are strongly linked. Indeed, anxiety, excitement and any form of tension and shock may all lead to a migraine attack. However, some people report that their migraine attacks start when the stress reduces. This is sometimes experienced as “weekend headaches” when, after a busy and stressful week at work, an individual might experience a migraine at the weekend when they are more relaxed. (Source)
CHIROPRACTIC MIGRAINE RESEARCH STUDIES
A 2017 article, published in the European Journal of Neurology, detailed a 17-month randomized study that included 104 patients who suffered from at least one migraine attack per month. The study included three groups of patients: one that received standard pharmaceutical treatment for migraines, one that received chiropractic spinal manipulations, and one that received placebo manipulations. The active study period lasted for three months, with a one-month run-up beforehand, and then follow-up periods at three, six, and 12 months afterward.2
The number of migraine days significantly reduced for all three groups from baseline to post-treatment, while this effect continued for the chiropractic treatment group through all the follow-up time points. Furthermore, duration of migraines were significantly more reduced in the chiropractic than in the control pharmaceutical group toward the end of the follow-up period of the study.2 (Source)
The quality of life of these individuals and their symptoms improve once stress has been removed from the nervous system.
Those results speak for themselves and can transform lives.
Today, more and more people are understanding the value of having their spine and nervous system’s checked throughout a lifetime in order to maintain optimal health, function and well-being.
Chiropractic is great at helping the sick get well, but it is equally fantastic and helping them stay that way.
Whatever the case, having a chiropractic evaluation is the first step in both directions. (Source)
Dr. Mooberry is a Denver chiropractor at Lifetime Wellness & Chiropractic. He is well versed in the care of headaches & migraines caused by stress with chiropractic care. Dr. Isaac Mooberry is considered one of the leading experts in headaches & migraines caused by stress, across the nation.