Migraine

I have been going to seminars on migraines that one of the hospitals near where I live is sponsering. Sor far they have been about medication and the last one was about acupuncture and chiropractics.

The one on medication said that the two best preventative medications for migraines were Elavil and Inderol. He also said to be careful with Tylenol, that it can cause serious liver problems.

The acupuncturist showed everyone there some pressure points and she put an acupuncture needle in everyone. I did not know my neck was so stiff until I had that needle. I was able to move my neck like I haven't been able to for years.

The chiropractor talked about how chiropractic treatments work better than medication. One of the women there swears that chiropractics is the best thing for migraines.

I was wondering if anyone has tried acupuncture or gone to a chiropractor for migraines. If anyone has, has it helped? I am thinking about one of them. I am already taking Elavil, so there is nothing new to try there for right now. I am a little bit nervous about trying chiropractics. I heard that if you don't have a problem a chiropractor will not always tell you and will do something anyways. I heard that it could make things worse. The acupuncture sounds like it can't hurt and might help. It sounds like it is worth a try. If anyone has any expierence with either one, please let me know if it has worked for you.

Thank you for your help and advise!

I'd take much of this with a grain of salt.

First off, there's no such thing as Elavil and Inderal being the two "best" preventatives. When they say things like this, they're trying to objectify something that is actually highly subjective and individual. If these two meds were indeed the best, more people would have luck with them. Inderal actually made my migraines much worse, and was a bad choice for me due to thyroid problems. It really messed with my blood pressure. It sounds to me like the person doing the medication seminar has a "pet" regimen, and I get the impression he's not very open-minded on tailoring preventative meds individually from that comment.

The Tylenol comment was spot on, though. It really can wreak havoc on the liver. I have a friend who nearly died from Tylenol liver damage. The issues she has several years later are amazing.

Ditto on the chiropractics angle. It may help some, but others of us can tell you differently. I tried it a few years ago, and the adjustments triggered two of the worst migraines I've had in my life. Out of hundreds of migraines, the first one of the adjustment-triggered migraines was the third worst I've ever had (we're talking curled up in the corner, whimpering). You don't know if it will help unless you try, but I'd go in with caveat that it could be disappointing. Most of the people I've ever talked to who have any kind of success with chiropractics are those with tension headaches that segue into migraine. If the adjustment helps relieve the tension, and thus avoids the tension headache, the migraine that springs from the tension headache is prevented.

I can't really comment on the accupuncture. I haven't tried any of that.

I don't think acupuncture is easy to get in Miss. You have to be a doctor to perform it.

I've had 3 go-rounds with chiropractors. The first time was for my migraine and tension-type headaches. I dutifully went, even when insurance played out. I don't think it made much difference.

I went to a different one for a stabbing pain in my hip that wouldn't go away. I'll give him credit for getting rid of it, and he got rid of it when is showed up again recently.

Doctor #2 is convinced that he can eliminate my migraines and head pain. I know otherwise, but I'm not rocking the boat.

Chiropractic treatments don't hurt. There's one maneuver that is a little uncomfortable, but it only lasts about half a second.

Physical therapy and massage therapy have been good for me. Insurance pays for 20 visits for "physical medicine," which includes chiro and PT. Massage therapy isn't covered at all.

Chiropractics and accupunture have been great for some people. I credit this chiro for handling the hip pain and some lower back pain, but I don't think he'll be able to change my genes.

Gretchen

Hello Michelle.
I was getting chiro. threatments for back pain when one day I went in with a migraine. I told the back "cracker" To be very gentle and maybe even forget to touch me. It is then he proposed a neck manipulation. I was a bit weary about it, I am not the most brave patient when it is hand down. So I let him do his thing but gee...!!! did I was scare when I heard the "crack"In my neck .I then felt a warm current in my head and the migraine was gone.......for 2 minutes.
The day after I heard on the news that a certain Chiro. form a big town was in court. He had a pt who paralyzed after having a neck adjustment......WOW !!!I was so glad to be able to move all my parts. It was the first and last of neck cracking and believe me it does "crack"
The week after I ask the chiro why after all that time my back was not better.
Hold on to your seat ...He told me, it was because I did not want to get better !!!!!!!I must have a payback at being sick...
What !!!! After all that money I put in his pocket ?? That was the last for me with chiro.
That is my persnal experience I know people who won't see a medical dr. I know too people who take their 2-3 weeks old babies for adjustments because according their chiro the baby was disaligned during labor....?????
To ad to this "bla bla bla" an other personal experience.
I know for sure that when a new student applied to the school of chiro. they had to supply they own practice targets...!!!! Meaning family members and friends because then ( I don't know for now) they couldn't like medical drs practice on real people !!! So very difficult for those who live out of town. Their address book had to be thick.
They also had a very extended business course in how to be successful $$$wise in their practice...
As you can see my personal opinion about that branch of health care is not very positive. So, don't just listen to me.
Hugs... Mariepi

Chiropractic hasn't helped my headaches, but has helped me tremendously in other ways. I've seen several chiropractors in my life, but started with my current one about 5 years ago (before the daily headaches) when I developed bad lower back pain. He helped me *so* much, not just with adjustments, but put me on a rehab program that got me back into exercise, which eventually helped me lose 40 lbs without dieting. When I was better, I stopped going for about a year, and then developed pretty bad neck pain, so went back and that has also resolved. I continue to see him at least every 3-4 weeks for adjustments. Since the daily headaches have developed, the chronic pain tends to cause misalignments in my neck and upper back, which, in turn, can feed back into the headaches. So the adjustments help to break that feedback loop. Also the headaches have forced me to give up my workout routine, and I credit the chiro adjustments for helping keep my lower back pain from returning.

But it's important to get a really good chiropractor (just like any medical professional). The one I see never tries to sell me expensive products or treatments, and he has never suggested anything that conflicts with my medical treatment. He really cares about my health. I'm actually pretty skeptical about some chiropractic theory and methods, but he has proven himself to be a talented healer, and he knows *way* more about supplements and nutrition than most MDs.

So there's my 2 cents on chiropractic

Robin

I have had luck with my chiropractor. However - I had a massage yesterday and had the worst migraine I've had in a long time yesterday. She must have worked up some sort spots and sent toxins into my system. They say drink 'lots of water' afterwards, which I thought I did. But it didn't help (I went 7 days without a migraine - record since January).

I did Acupuncture for several months. Initially it worked so well that I convinced myself I never had migraines. But after about 3 months of treatment each visit resulted in worse pain and put me in the bed for a few days following treatments. At $88 per visit I decided on my own to stop going since the last 4 visits were so painful.
I had chiropractic treatment for 8months. After each visit i would be in so much pain that day and the next so same thing, I stopped going.
I know of people who acupuncture has completely controlled their migraines but for me it worked initially and then made things worse.

I am very wary of going to a chiropractor or visiting anyone who says they have a cure.

I think chiropractors are good for other things--I have had a bad back since a car accident when I was 14 but it isn't anything terribly painful. It could be helped probably if I had better posture, too. So seeing a chiropractor for general back aches and pains I can see, and maybe for controlling the head pain if all else fails...But to begin with I have a difficult time believing in the more holistic approach anyway.

Not every chiro claims to have a cure or anything like that, so I respect someone who urges chiropractics as a way of control if that is what works for someone, but not as an absolute.

I am not unwilling to try chiropractics or acupuncture, but I kind of view it as a last resort to control pain.

quote:

Originally posted by Leeloo:
I am very wary of going to a chiropractor or visiting anyone who says they have a cure...I am not unwilling to try chiropractics or acupuncture, but I kind of view it as a last resort to control pain.

I am totally with you on being suspicious of anyone who says they can cure you, whether it's a doctor or an alternative medicine practitioner. But there are actually well-controlled studies that support chiropractic care for low back pain. I know that for me good chiro care helped me get off pain meds for back and neck pain relatively quickly, and it helps me keep it under control. I've been to a couple of chiros whom I really didn't like, but my current one is a total gem. He's not even on my new insurance, but I'm stickin' with him anyway.

Robin

After doing the med-merry-go-round for about 4 months, I decided to try a chiropractor. I have back issues anyway from a car accident when I was little, so why not? My chiro didn't make any promises and was honest about when i should start seeing results (a couple of treatments). I think he's just as curious to see if this will work as I am! He does accupressure and massage while I'm there too, which is a bonus. I've continuted to take my meds and see my neuro while I've been going.

Has it cured my migraines. Nope. Has it helped. I think so. It's not a tremendous differrence, but it's got me down from two Migranal per week to one Migranal per week. I managed to go an entire 4 days without a migraine after my third treatment as well, which was a godsend. I especially notice that the couple of days after I get my adjustment and massage are the ones I usually feel the best. I should say that I only get to go once per week and that I might get more sustained results if I went to the 2x's per week they've recommended. I wish I could!

I have done both chiropractic and acupuncture for migraines. The chiropractic really had no impact positive or negative and I think he was a good doctor with good intentions. At the end of a few sessions he recommended a neurologist -- this was before I was on any meds. The acupuncture did help a bit. It certainly helped me sleep better and reduce stress and just listen to my body. I went to an chinese acunpuncturist who is an MD in China. His English was shaky which scared me at first -- but I certainly felt better. It is the cost and the time it takes to commit to it. I am thinking of doing another round. Definitely do research on certifications, etc. for the acupuncturist.

I've had moderate success with a chiropractor. He's sure that he can "cure" me (which is wishful thinking on his part), but he's a kind person and has helped lessen the pain at the base of my skull. I would say, if you can find a reputable chiropractor, that it's worth a try. Even a little help is a step in the right direction.

I tried chiropractic for about 6 months. At the center, I also received therapeutic massage and acupressure. The accupressurist was a woman from China who was extremely kind and knowledgeable! She did "cranial adjustments" on me, which involved pushing on parts of my head and jaw (I have TMJ). Those cranial adjustments were very painful for me!!

I kept going, hoping things would improve. But after a while, I noticed that I was going on a good migraine day and leaving with TERRIBLE migraine!! At this point, I cannot afford to lose a good day!! So I stopped going...

Remember, you are different though!! Chiropractic care may not work for me but may be terrific for you!!

Also, I have a cousin with severe fibromyalgia. She sees an acupuncturist and SWEARS it is the best thing she's ever done!! Her flares are nowhere near as severe, now that she's having acupuncture!!

jenny

We do know there is no "cure" for Migraine disease, right???

quote:

Originally posted by LuvMyCat:
I've had moderate success with a chiropractor. He's sure that he can "cure" me (which is wishful thinking on his part), but he's a kind person and has helped lessen the pain at the base of my skull. I would say, if you can find a reputable chiropractor, that it's worth a try. Even a little help is a step in the right direction.

Hi,

Thank you to everyone who replied. I had forgotten I had this thread.

I tried acupuncture and I have had a lot of success with it. I went from 15 migraines a month to 5 migraines a month the first month, and I have not had more than 2 migraines a month since.

I was at school for 10 hours and did not get a migraine. (Prior to the acupuncture I would get a migraine there everytime, no matter what I was there for).

I found an acupuncturist in my area who is relatively inexpensive. She is very good and very nice.

I would recommend acupuncture to anyone. It was definitley worth a try. I am still nervous about seeing a chiropractor, but I will definitley not rule it out.