Can a Chiropractor Help with Migraine?

Above is the headline of an article in Medical News Today that appeared on September 21, 2021. The author, Mary West, suggests that the research and information available points to chiropractic helping with this debilitating condition.

The Migraine Research Foundation lists the following facts about migraines on their website. "Migraine is the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world. Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraine." They also note that 12% of the U.S. population suffers from migraines at some time, and women are twice as likely to suffer with migraines than men. Migraines are such a debilitating condition that 90% of those suffering a migraine are unable to work or function normally.

The article suggests that the research on chiropractic helping migraines is limited. However, there are many case study research papers that document chiropractic care having a positive outcome with people who suffer with the condition. Aside from the volume of case studies documenting chiropractic helping migraine sufferers in the chiropractic research literature, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine published a case study of a patient who was completely free of migraines after chiropractic care.

The Medical News Today article notes that many people who go to a chiropractor with migraines also suffer from other related musculoskeletal conditions. Up to 75% of those with migraines also have neck pain and stiffness. "People may seek a chiropractor for migraine because they often have associated symptoms, such as neck pain and stiffness, which chiropractors commonly treat."

The common medical treatment for migraines is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxants. These drugs may help to temporarily alleviate the symptoms, but they do nothing to get to the underlying physiology that may be at the source of migraines. Also, all drugs come with additional side effects that in some cases could be serious.

"Chiropractors commonly see patients with migraine headaches," states Dr. Braile, a chiropractor in Georgia and former president of the International Chiropractors Association. He explains, "Chiropractors actually do not treat migraine headaches. What we do is correct nerve interference and structural distortions at the spine, called subluxations, that then lead to migraines. Most chiropractors can report that they have had patients who were long-time migraine sufferers who no longer had the condition after chiropractic care."

The Medical News Today article seems to support Braile's claim when they state, "A 2017 survey questioned 1,869 chiropractors to determine the prevalence of migraine treatment and management. The results showed 53% had a caseload that was high in individuals with migraine headaches."