Drug-Free Migraine Treatment Options

Migraines are a common ailment in the US and across the globe. Many medical doctors are still at a loss for how to treat patients and may immediately reach for the prescription pad. However, more patients are asking for drug-free migraine relief options to avoid the harmful side effects of most medications. What drug-free treatments are available to migraine sufferers?

Lifestyle Adjustments for Migraine Relief

First of all, it is important to get an actual diagnosis of migraines before attempting to treat them naturally. If your symptoms are being caused by another serious condition, it is important to find out what you actually have before starting treatment—natural or otherwise.

That having been said, many doctors recommend a journal for those who suffer from migraines. In it, you can record foods you eat and activities you perform. This can help you to identify what triggers a migraine. Then you can avoid these triggers and hopefully experience fewer attacks. Unfortunately, this involves a lot of trial and error, and making the lifestyle adjustments may not completely resolve your migraines or make them any easier to deal with when they do occur.

Exercise is another recommendation. Many people who have migraines avoid exercise thinking that strenuous activity will trigger an attack, but for most people daily stretching and low-impact exercise can have a positive effect.

Other research has revealed that regular mealtimes to maintain blood sugar, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, and getting into a regular sleep schedule are all keys to migraine management.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for Migraine Relief

While reducing triggers is a good temporary solution getting to the underlying cause is the most important for the migraine sufferer. When the upper neck is misaligned due to accidents or injuries dramatic changes can take place in the way that the brain is functioning frequently leading to migraines. When this misalignment is corrected by upper cervical care migraines will frequently reduce in frequency and severity or be eliminated completely. If the C1 vertebra also known as the Atlas is misaligned, it can put pressure on the brainstem, reduce blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow to and from the brain leading to many different symptoms including migraines.

At the Besso Clinic, we use the NUCCA technique to correct C1 misalignments. Many of our patients find that such a correction provided them migraine relief, and some have even seen a complete resolution of the problem.

About the Author

Dr. Geoff Besso, DC, DCCJP

Besso Clinic of Chiropractic

Dr. Geoff Besso graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Following his bachelor’s degree he enrolled at the prestigious Life University in Atlanta, Georgia. After a four year intensive program, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2002. He became an upper cervical chiropractor in Stow in 2005. Dr. Besso and his wife, Amy Besso, DC, opened their practice in Stow, Ohio, in 2005 and have been blessed to help thousands of patients with conditions ranging from Fibromyalgia to Migraine Headaches to Meniere’s Disease.