Migraines are more than just headaches; they are a complex condition that involves many parts of your brain, nerves, blood vessels, hormones, and energy systems.
At ANR, our focus is on helping you through the many ways to manage migraines, especially by working on your neck, posture, balance, exercise and movement. This is in addition to education and advice to help with your overall management. All these physical strategies can make a big difference in reducing how often migraines happen and how intense they can be.
How Migraines Work
During a migraine, certain parts of the brain and brainstem become sensitive and change their function. They release chemicals that widen blood vessels and produce inflammation, leading to signs and symptoms such as headache pain or dizziness. Activities like moving your head or exerting yourself can sometimes make these symptoms worse because they increase blood flow and pressure in the area, where nerve endings may be overly sensitive. Hormone changes, especially in women, can also contribute to these changes, which make migraines more likely.
How We Can Help at ANR
– Neck, postural and gaze stability: Tension, pain or instability in your neck can contribute to migraines. Underlying vestibulat conditions can also contribute. We can help you improve your posture, reduce dizziness, release muscle tightness and improve your neck control and stability to reduce triggers.
– Exercise and Movement: Gentle, specific exercises can help your brain produce more feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, which may lower your threshold for getting migraines over time.
– Managing Triggers: We help you identify physical triggers, like poor posture, dizziness, specific movements and environments that may be a trigger for your Migraines, so you can avoid or manage them earlier.
– Relaxation and Stress Relief: Techniques like breathing exercises or posture adjustments can help calm your nervous system, which often gets involved with migraines.
What About Medications?
Abortive medications are used to stop a migraine once it starts. These medications work by narrowing blood vessels in your head and blocking certain chemicals that cause pain and inflammation. Think of them as tools to quickly relieve a migraine attack. Many of our patients learn to identify subtle signs of a pending Migraine earlier, allowing for more effective use of abortive medications.
Other medications are preventative, meaning they can reduce the frequency of Migraine attacks, but your doctor or neurologist will decide the best options for you. We work alongside your medical team to support your overall health and as Neurological Physiotherapists, know when to refer to your doctor or neurologist for medication input.
While medications are important, controlling migraines often involves a combination of treatments. Migraine is a multidimensional condition, so it often requires a multidimensional approach. At ANR, we help you with physical therapy treatments, exercise, and lifestyle tips to hopefully reduce the intensity and frequency of Migraines. Our goal is to support your overall well-being and help you live more comfortably.
If you want to learn more about how we can help you manage migraines, get in touch!
