Resolution of Chronic Pain and Migraines Following Chiropractic Care

The above title comes from a study published on June 10, 2019, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The study documents the case of a man who was suffering from migraine headaches as well as pain in his upper extremities who got relief from chiropractic care.

The authors of the study start by pointing out that chronic pain disorders, such as fibromyalgia, back pain, and neck pain, are more common in people who also suffer with chronic migraine headaches. Headaches are generally common. The study notes that 46% of the population will suffer with at least one headache in any given year. That number increases to 65% who will suffer headaches over their lifetime. They report that in Western Europe and North America, the rates or people suffering with migraine headaches are between 5% and 9% in men, and between 12% and 25% in women.

The study reports that the estimates of Americans who suffer with chronic pain varies from 10% to 55%. Whatever the number, a significant number of Americans have chronic pain which results in a cost to the US economy of more than $600 billion per year.

In this case, a 52-year-old woman presented herself to a chiropractor for consultation and possible care. At that time, the woman's chief health concerns were migraine headaches and left-sided spinal pain that radiated to her arms and legs. She reported that she had been suffering with these issues for the past 20 years. Medication did offer some moderate relief at times, but there were still times when the pain was so severe that the woman would take herself to the local hospital.

During her chiropractic examination, it was noted that the woman was crying due to the extreme pain she was in. The examination consisted of inspection and spinal palpation. However, range of motion and orthopedic or neurological examinations were not possible due to the woman's condition.

The chiropractor determined that vertebral subluxations were present, and specific chiropractic adjustments were started at the rate of three times per week to address the subluxations. As care continued, the woman reported experiencing a dramatic improvement in her migraines and her pain. After five weeks, the woman moved to another city, but due to her improvement she elected to make the trip back to her chiropractor to continue care on a maintenance basis.

In their conclusion the authors wrote, "This case report provides supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care in the patients presenting with migraine headaches and atypically presenting spinal pain."

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