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Migraine Hangovers and How You Can Experience Relief

Did you know that a migraine attack has four distinct phases? One of these stages is the migraine hangover or postdrome. While not everyone experiences it, a migraine hangover can cause an equally disabling impact that can stretch out for up several days after the headache stage. So, how does it work, and how can you find relief? Can the best chiropractor in Oakland help? Get all your questions answered in our discussion below. 

Migraines Have Four Phases

Millions of Americans suffer from migraine attacks. The latest statistics report that around 25 percent of the total population experiences migraines. Some report severe symptoms, while others say that their episodes feel reasonably mild. 

If you frequently have migraines, you may already be familiar with symptoms such as pulsating or throbbing pain on a specific side of your head, nausea, vomiting, and aura. 

Additionally, by now, you might have also noticed a specific pattern of your attack. Like for instance, you might distinguish the four migraines stages, namely, the prodrome, aura, headache, and hangover.  

Each phase has a distinctive feature. Moreover, each stage has varying durations, depending on your overall health and your attack patterns. 

Many people looking for relief from the best chiropractor in Oakland focus their attention on the headache phase as it’s the most disruptive among the four.  However, that doesn’t mean that you should forget about the other three. The better you understand all four stages, the more effective management techniques you can find. 

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and migraines and other headaches, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

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Migraine Hangover – Quick Facts 

Among the different migraine stages, the postdrome is the least discussed. That’s mainly because people strongly associate migraines with headaches.

Do take note that migraine, is in fact, a complex neurological disorder. Hence, it’s not uncommon to experience more than one symptom every time an episode begins. 

As for the last phase, you might be able to distinguish it by observing any of the following signs: 

  • Weakness or fatigue 
  • Unexplainable mood swings 
  • Impaired cognition (it could include short-term memory problems and difficulty in concentrating) 
  • Stiffness of the neck muscles

These typically follow the pulsating or throbbing pain in your head. Sometimes they can appear right after the headache. However, some patients note that they experience migraine hangover symptoms two days after the pain finally subsides.

Remedies You Can Try to Manage Migraines

Due to a migraine episode's innate complexity, finding an effective remedy seems a bit elusive for some folks. For example, pain relievers like NSAIDs can have different effects on migraineurs. Some report no relief from their migraines, while others feel a bit better after receiving a dose. 

Besides pain killers, many chronic migraineurs also take advantage of naturopathic healing. For example, some try going to the best chiropractor in Oakland or exploring massage therapy. Many also find promising results by making simple adjustments to their routine such as:

Avoiding starvation

Failing to eat on time or skipping meals altogether is terrible news for anyone who struggles with frequent bouts of migraines. It affects blood sugar levels and brain activity. 

Ensuring you sleep well at night

Half of the population who have chronic migraines claim that they experience worse attacks after a sleepless night. If you’re not getting enough restorative sleep, it’s high time for you to do something about it. You can try some sleep management tactics like avoiding long naps during daytime and staying away from your gadget before your scheduled sleeping time. 

Avoiding trigger food 

Take note of migraine trigger foods like hams, aged cheese, dairy products, and wheat. We also recommend staying away from products or food items you’re sensitive to, as they can trigger inflammation.

Managing your stress levels 

Stress can stem from various things, including emotional turmoil, hectic work schedules, traumatic events, and sudden lifestyle changes. If you’re frequently stressed out, you more likely to suffer from a bad migraine attack. We suggest finding better stress management tactics to use like finding a new hobby or trying meditation and mindfulness exercises. 

Migraines and Spine: Tracing the Link

Throughout the discussion, we mentioned that many patients nowadays come into specific chiropractors practices seeking help for their migraines. A good explanation for that would be the strong connection between migraines and spinal alignment. 

In the previous section, we listed neck pain or stiffness as a common sign of migraine hangover. It likely happens because the bones of the spine have slipped from their original alignment. This often results in muscle stiffness as well as irritation of the nerves and the brainstem. 

If you previously suffered from a significant injury due to a car collision, physical abuse, overextension of the neck, or contact sports, you might have a spinal misalignment. It can also occur if you maintain a bad sitting posture when you work long hours in the office or home. 

Unknowingly, this might be causing or aggravating your migraine episodes. The bones might be pressing on your brainstem and nerves, disrupting their normal function and causing confusion in your nervous system. 

Until you have the misalignment problem addressed, you will likely have to deal with migraines plus other worst health problems. 

Working With The Best Chiropractor in Oakland

Besides practicing the tips we shared above, you might find it incredibly helpful to seek the assistance of the best chiropractor in Oakland. With specific chiropractic, you can finally resolve the spinal misalignment problem. 

When you seek this procedure, a specific chiropractor such as Dr. Melissa Crago here at Life Chiropractic in Oakland will examine your spine’s structure. We can use different techniques to assess the situation. Furthermore, we customize our approach to provide each patient with maximum benefits, such as receiving specific adjustments that can hold. 

If you haven’t seen results from the procedure or remedies you use to deal with chronic migraines, we highly recommend trying specific chiropractic . It’s a promising approach to healing your body and restoring your brain and brainstem’s vitality. 

Contact us today at (510) 394-5035 or via our web form to book your consultation or appointment.

To schedule a special consultation in our Oakland office call (510) 594-9994, or just click the button below.

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