Many people who suffer from migraines can be frustrated by the lack of progress. Some people respond well to traditional chiropractic adjustments while others seem to try everything and experience no relief. Fortunately, brain-based therapy has been shown to be effective for those who suffer from migraines when it seems that there is nothing left to try.
With brain-based therapies, many functional medicine practitioners find the first important step is figuring out exactly what is causing these migraines. Since migraines are problems found literally in the brain, it is vital to figure out their cause in order to correct it. In some people, it is far too much firing in the brain which causes problems. In others, it is asymptomatic firing which causes problems on one side of the brain versus the other. Figuring out which type of migraine a specific patient suffers from is a very important step in creating a specific therapy plan for that person.
If it is found that one side of the brain is not firing as it should, there are chiropractic adjustments which can be made to bring the brain into alignment. These are not traditional “cracking” adjustments that people normally think of when they picture chiropractic adjustments, but rather gentle adjustments meant to stimulate the brain. Through specific instrumentation and specific massaging with the hands, it is possible to get the underactive side of the brain to begin functioning as it should.
This stimulation can also include vibration therapy. It is now used in chiropractic therapy to stimulate parts of the brain that are not as active as they should be. And in some people, olfactory stimulation may provide the relief that is needed. The olfactory nerve runs from the nose directly to the brain and is responsible for our sense of smell. Because of their close proximity, a problem with this nerve shoots pain directly into the brain. By calming this nerve, it is possible to provide migraine relief.
Another therapy that people may neglect is exercise. A patient may not realize it, but exercise stimulates the brain. As the systems in the body exert energy, they send signals to the brain which in turn increases brain activity. By working with a functional medicine practitioner experienced in brain-based therapies, a patient can do specific exercises to stimulate the parts of the brain that need it.
Brain-based therapy works because it addresses the root of the problem – the brain. Many treatments from medical doctors seek only to mask the pain and help a person “live with” this condition. Brain-based therapy seeks to correct the underlying problems and allows a person to live free of the problems, migraines can cause. Far from just correcting the symptoms, brain-based therapy works to provide lasting relief for a patient.
If you seem to have tried everything and nothing works, there is hope. Look for a functional medicine practitionerthat has experience providing relief from even the most difficult of migraine cases and that can identify the problems within your brain.