Upper cervical chiropractors in Wichita, Kansas help patients cope with any condition they have, such as migraines.
Migraines affect as much as 1 billion people worldwide, which explains why it is the 3rd most common disease in the world. If you frequently experience attacks of this neurological disorder, you must be too familiar by this time of the signs that indicate a migraine attack is about to hit.
More than just a very terrible head pain, a migraine is a combination of severe headache and other painful symptoms, including nausea, vertigo, oversensitivity to light, sound, and smell, and more.
Table of Contents
Migraine Types and Their Characteristics
Migraines have different types, and each has its own subset of symptoms. Knowing the correct migraine type you have can help direct you to the right care.
Below are some of the migraine types officially categorized by the International Headache Society. We have also added in the list other migraine types that the medical community has coined to describe migraines and what triggers them.
-
Migraine without headache
Headache is the first symptom that comes to mind when people talk about migraines. However, although it is often present, a headache can be absent in an episode of a migraine attack. Migraine can happen even without the development of the headache stage. Migraine without headache may bring about aura symptoms, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and inexplicable pain.
To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and migraines and other headaches, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.
-
Common migraine (Migraine without aura)
This is the most common among all migraine types. It causes a throbbing or pulsating headache pain that often affects only one side of the head. Its intensity ranges from moderate to severe. An attack of migraine without aura can last from 4 to 72 hours.
Nausea, vomiting, mood changes, fatigue, cognitive problems, blurry vision, and increased sensitivity to sound, smell, and light may also be present. Common migraines can happen a few times a year (occasional) or a few times a week (chronic).
-
Classic migraine (Migraine with aura)
A migraine with aura is almost like one without, except this presents with visual disturbances and other neurological symptoms. They occur before the onset of the headache, approximately 10 minutes to an hour before it. An aura can present itself in many ways. It can be flashes of light, blind spots, wavy lines, temporary vision loss, or floaters across the visual field. The aura phase can also involve difficulty with speech, muscle weakness, numbness, tingling, confusion, or other abnormal sensations. However, they occur less frequently.
-
Chronic migraine
People with chronic migraines experience a headache on 15 or more days in a month for more than three months. Whether with or without an aura, chronic migraines can be unbearable to go through.
-
Stress migraine
This is not an officially acknowledged migraine type. However, you can hear doctors use it as stress is the number one trigger of migraine attacks. Stress has drastic effects on migraines. Being in a highly stressful situation, such as the death of a loved one or losing a job, can trigger an episode of stress migraine. Stress can also aggravate and prolong an attack. In addition, there is what they call “weekend migraines,” which happen following the end of a stressful event.
-
Weather-related migraine
Weather events such as lightning, storms, changes in barometric pressure, high humidity, dry conditions, or bright sunlight can all trigger a migraine attack in some people.
-
Hormonal migraine
A sudden increase or drop in hormonal levels of women can be a significant migraine trigger. Women with hormonal migraines may experience an episode set in either before their menstrual cycle or after it ends. When a woman’s period begins, she encounters a drop in her progesterone and estrogen levels. This sparks a migraine episode every month.
-
Basilar migraine (migraine with brainstem aura)
This is a migraine with aura symptoms that originates from the brainstem. According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraine with brainstem aura is more common in teenage girls. Some of its symptoms are vertigo, tinnitus, loss of coordination, vision changes, slurred speech, and temporary loss of vision. Unlike other types of migraines, the headache of basilar migraine affects both sides of the head and neck. The head pain can come severe and out of the blue.
Natural Relief for All Types of Migraines
When it comes to migraine care, many migraineurs prefer a natural method to address their disorder. Fortunately, they have found the solution in upper cervical chiropractic care.
Upper cervical chiropractors in Wichita, Kansas concentrate on the critical area of the spine– at the head and neck junction. The atlas (C1) vertebra, which sits there, protects the delicate brainstem. The brainstem is an integral part of the central nervous system (CNS). In the unfortunate event that the atlas misaligns, this can mean malfunction of the CNS and likely onset of migraines.
Here at Barrett Chiropractic in Wichita, Kansas, we realign the atlas to its correct position with gentleness and precision. This results in the restoration of the function of the CNS. Proper alignment of the bones of the upper cervical spine is vital in maintaining optimal brain-body communication.
Regardless of what type of migraines you have, you can get value from upper cervical chiropractic care. Thousands of migraine patients in different case studies have reported a significant reduction in the frequency and intensity of their episodes after receiving this unique form of therapy. Some even consider their migraine a thing of the past.
If you want to set a no-obligation consultation with one of our doctors, or experience first-hand the benefits of this approach, call 316-844-1351 or send us a message through our online form.
To schedule a consultation with The Barrett Chiropractic clinic, call 316-844-1351 or just click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.