More than 40 million people living in the United States suffer from chronic headaches, and of them, almost 30 million suffer from migraines. The pain of these migraines can be intense and excruciating, making the simplest of tasks almost impossible to perform. The good news is that Dr. Nygaard offers all-natural solutions to this debilitating condition.
The symptoms of migraines can occur in various combinations and include:
Moderate to severe pounding, throbbing pain
Blurred vision
Sensitivity to noise or light
Dizziness
Paleness
Fatigue
Nausea or vomiting
There are two common types of migraines – with an aura, and without an aura.
Migraines with an aura are preceded by visual changes such as dots, flashing lights, and wavy lines. It is estimated that more than one-third of migraines sufferers experience an aura prior to a headache. Other types of auras include blind spots or tunnel vision. These become very frightening when a feeling of numbness occurs, or if one has difficulty in speaking. The strange thing about these events is that when the actual headache begins, the symptoms will fade instead of getting worse
How can you prevent migraines? Dr. Nygaard suggests the following strategies:
Chiropractic Adjustments – When spinal bones or vertebrae are out of alignment, vertebral subluxation can occur. Chiropractic adjustments are safe, gentle maneuvers that can correct these misalignments. Unlike drugs, which have potentially dangerous side-effects and may actually worsen headaches in the long-term, chiropractic care has shown “statistically significant improvement in migraine frequency, duration, disability and medication use when compared with control groups.
Watch What You Eat – A number of food, drinks and their ingredients that are part of your daily diet may trigger a migraine. Avoid red wine and other alcoholic beverages, aspartame, monosodium glumate, meat tenderizers, processed meats and bakery products that may contain yeast. It’s also a bad idea if you are subject to migraines to skip meals or get dehydrated.
Chill Out – Studies have shown that incorporating relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, T’ai Chi and biofeedback into your daily routine will help keep your stress under control.
Exercise -Something as simple as taking a walk increases endorphins – hormones known to block pain.
Get Plenty of Sleep – Give yourself at least eight hours of sleep each night, keeping your bedtime and wake up time consistent each week. Do everything you can to make your sleep deep and steady. Don’t over sleep though; that can be worse than not enough sleep.
Are you one of the many sufferers of migraines? Don’t let them control your life or keep you from doing the things you want to do. Call Dr. Nygaard for a consultation and see how chiropractic care can help alleviate migraines and other headaches.
