Migraines

Migraine headaches, for the 10-15% of the population that experience them, have a significant impact on the lives of the sufferer. This condition disproportionately affects women, and often occurs in the busiest years of our lives, from commonly our teenage years through to our fifties.

Survey data has indicated that:

·      1 in 3 migraine sufferers feel like they have to cancel plans when an episode comes on

·      3 in 4 migraine sufferers having their school and work lives affected

·      53% of migraine sufferers have had an attack they need bed rest from

There must be something we can do. 

When looking at treatment options, Osteopathy is something you are bound to hear about. This post will highlight some of the things your Osteopath at Be Well Health Group can do to assist you with management of migraines.

1.   Differential Diagnosis:

Sometimes a severe headache is not always a migraine. Your Osteopath through a thorough case history and assessment can identify whether your headache is more than likely a migraine, or whether another form of headache may be the cause.

2.   Manual Therapy. Can it help?

Although this is a continuously evolving area of research, there is evidence that manual therapy could have an effect on migraine frequency and/or severity of episodes. Osteopaths are trained in many forms of manual therapy from soft tissue, to joint manipulation techniques, and are perfectly positioned to assess whether manual therapy could assist in your individual case.

3.   Multidisciplinary Care:

The role of an Osteopath, as a primary health care professional, is to help you access the right community resources to begin the process of managing your migraines. These may be:

·      Referral:

Finding the right Medical Doctor, who can explore the best Pharmacological or Non-Pharmacological treatment options for you, is often one of the first steps.

·      Goal setting:

Next, we need to develop strategies that aid in managing acute episodes when they do come on. Prompt identification and avoidance of migraine triggers as well as strategies that prioritise long-term health, such as good-quality sleep and daily exercise are paramount to developing self-management strategies.

An individualised treatment approach is always best, and our team at Be Well Health Group are committed to helping you find the right strategy to manage your migraines.

To book an appointment, call our friendly team at Be Well Health Group in Grovedale on (03) 5244 0063 or you can book online.

References:

1)   Manual therapies for migraine: a systematic review. Aleksander Chaibi et. al. J Headache Pain. 2011 Apr; 12(2): 127–133.

2)   A critical review of manual therapy use for headache disorders: prevalence, profiles, motivations, communication and self-reported effectiveness. Craig S. Moore et al. BMC Neurol. 2017; 17: 61. Published online 2017 Mar 24.

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