If you suffer from migraines, you know that they are more than just a headache. You can become dizzy or nauseated from the pain, and your senses, particularly vision and smell, become hypersensitive, and bright light can become devastatingly painful.
This type of pain, along with the side effects, is extremely debilitating and can interfere with your daily life on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are some solutions for migraines that do not involve heavy pain medication that may or may not work.
What is spinal decompression?
When you visit a chiropractic office, one of the first things that they will do is an assessment of your overall wellness, including an extensive look at your musculoskeletal system. Occasionally the spine in particular and other parts of the musculoskeletal system become misaligned, causing a multitude of issues.
Alignment affects most of the systems in the body, but in particular, affects the nervous system. If nerves are pinched or impinged due to misalignment, the effects can be serious, ranging from sciatica, neuropathy to other conditions like migraines.
If the chiropractor determines that you are out of alignment, then there are few treatments as options. The main objective is to restore the body to a healthy alignment, so physical manipulation of the spine might be necessary.
One type of effective adjustment is spinal decompression. Because the nerves in the cervical region have likely become compressed in the case of a migraine, relieving this pressure is the primary path to relief.
In spinal decompression, physical stretching of the spine, carefully controlled by computers to provide the precise amount of relief to the spine. As the pressure on the nerves is relieved, the resulting pain is often soon relieved as well.
How can spinal decompression help prevent headaches and migraines?
Discs within the cervical vertebrae can become herniated, causing pressure on the nerve cluster that radiates from the brain and conducts impulses down the spine and throughout the body. Even a small amount of pressure on a nerve can cause tremendous discomfort or pain.
When there is a problem with the structures within the spine, especially with the cartilage and fluids that cushion the vertebrae themselves, there is the risk that the nerves will become compressed or damaged. The dura mater, or covering of the spine, protects the nerves, and this can become damaged as well.
With spinal decompression, the stretching allows the pressure on the nerves to ease, allowing the tissue to recover from the damage or irritation that is causing the pain and migraines. The release of pressure allows the normal flow of nutrient-rich fluids to again enter the spinal column and begin the regeneration process for the damaged discs. Once the disc is healthy again, and the spine realigned, the underlying issues likely causing the migraine pain have been addressed.