How do Osteopaths treat Migraines

What is Migraine?

Osteopaths recognise Migraine as a complex condition with the main feature being a very painful headache. Other symptoms include; visual disturbance, tingling in the face, photo-sensitivity (aversion to light), over-sensitivity to loud noise and strong smells as well as nausea and vomiting.

Migraine affects around 6 million people in the UK, 10% of the population. It can affect people at any age but typically starts between the ages of 13-40. Women are twice as likely to suffer from migraine than men, leading Osteopathic researchers to believe that female hormones have a role to play in the pathology of this condition.

Osteopaths report that symptoms of migraine vary between individuals as well as between individual attacks. Typically, an attack will last between 4-72 hours and most sufferers are symptom free between attacks.

Migraines are more than just a headache, they can be incredibly debilitating, with sufferers having to stop whatever they are doing and rest in a darkened room until the symptoms go away. Many migraine sufferers express frustration and guilt as migraines force them to let people down. Migraine is a major cause of lost work and school days with Osteopaths in the UK reporting increased cases over the last five years. Even when symptom free, many sufferers are fearful of their next attack.

Is it a headache or a migraine?

There is no simple diagnostic test for migraine and many sufferers will be diagnosed on history alone. Your local osteopath is in a good position to help with the diagnosis of your headache symptoms since they will always take a thorough case history to make sure you are safe to treat and can refer you to your GP or specialist if necessary.
Distinguishing between different headaches can be difficult especially since you may experience different headaches at different times. One way to clarify your symptom picture when presenting to your osteopath is to keep a headache diary with details of; how frequently they occur, how you were feeling before the attacks (e.g. stressed), how long each attack lasted, and what you had eaten in the hours previous to the attack.

What are the causes of Migraines?

The cause of migraine is unknown; it is thought to be a combination of circulatory and neurological factors. There is also a strong genetic link, with the children of migraine sufferers being pre-disposed to migraine.

Although the exact cause is unknown, researchers have identified a number of triggers which include;
•    Emotion – stress, fear, anxiety.
•    Diet – alcohol, caffeine, cheese, chocolate.
•    Hormones – menstrual cycle.
•    Change in habit – lack of sleep, skipped meals.
•    Weather changes.
•    Osteopaths emphasise a structural element to migraine headache which can be affected by manual treatment.

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The content of this page is informed by feedback from osteopathic practitioners in Essex and also a practitioner in Exeter. Further input was received from clinics in Sheffield and osteopaths in the Bromley area. Finally a contribution was made by practices in Cambridge