Understanding Migraines and How to Prevent Them
If you suffer from migraines, you have a lot of company. Data show about 25% of American households include at least one migraine sufferer, and overall, about 12% of Americans are affected by migraine headaches and their symptoms. Migraines are also responsible for more than a million emergency room visits each year in the United States.
It’s important to know what treatments are available for migraine headaches — but it’s even more important to know what you can do to prevent them. As a top pain management and integrative medicine practice in Beverly Hills, California, Elite Integrative Medical helps patients of all ages manage their migraines with treatment and prevention programs tailored to their needs. If you suffer from migraine headaches, here’s how our team can help you.
Why migraines happen
Even though migraines are widespread, researchers still aren’t exactly sure what causes them. Most researchers characterize migraines as a neurological disorder that’s probably caused, at least in part, by genetic mutations in the brain.
While doctors don’t know the precise cause of migraines, they do know that many migraines can be “triggered” by something in the environment or even inside your body. Some common triggers include:
- Hormonal fluctuations
- Inadequate sleep
- Specific foods or nutritional deficiencies
- Low blood sugar
- Stress
- Dehydration
- Excess consumption of caffeine or alcohol
- Strong odors
- Bright lights or loud noises
- Muscle tension, including focused “trigger points”
Some migraines can even be triggered by a change in the weather or barometric pressure.
Preventing migraines
At Elite Integrative Medical, our team focuses on developing custom treatment plans based on each patient’s unique triggers and symptoms while also supporting optimal nerve function. We offer several options that can help reduce your risk of migraine headaches.
Trigger point and massage therapies
Trigger point therapy and massage therapy are techniques that help relax tight muscles that could be irritating nerves or interfering with normal nerve function. In addition to relieving muscle tension, both of these therapies improve blood flow to the area, ensuring adequate nutrition and oxygenation to your organs, muscles, and other parts of your body. Massage can also help reduce inflammation around sore muscles and joints to help prevent nerve impingement.
PRP therapy
PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, a product derived from a sample of your blood. PRP contains special natural chemicals designed to promote tissue repair. Like trigger point therapy and massage therapy, PRP therapy can help relieve inflammation and improve circulation in specific treatment zones for better overall function.
Nutritional counseling
Some migraines are related to your diet — specifically, the foods you eat or the nutrients your body lacks. Nutritional counseling aims to help you develop eating habits that support healthy nerve and muscle function, so your body can work the way it’s supposed to. A healthy diet may also work to decrease inflammation that could be contributing to neuromuscular tension and pain.
Chiropractic care and rehabilitation
Your nerves travel through your spine before branching out to other areas of your body. That means if there’s a problem with your spine — even a minor one — it can cause widespread effects in your nerves, including the nerves associated with migraine symptoms. Chiropractic care and rehabilitation focus on adjustments and soft-tissue therapies to optimize nerve function, reducing nerve impingement and compression that can contribute to painful symptoms.
Get relief for your migraines
Having multiple treatment options available is one of the major benefits of seeing a pain management and integrative medicine specialist for migraine pain. We’ll work closely with you to develop a treatment plan that’s optimized for your health history, your lifestyle, and your symptoms so you can feel confident in your results.
If you’re suffering from migraines, we can help. Call Elite Integrative Medical or use our online form and request a free consultation so we can discuss your treatment options with you.