Is Stress Causing Your Chronic Migraines?

More than just a tension headache, a migraine headache is debilitating and disruptive. If you get migraines, you know the agony they cause, and you’ve likely tried just about everything to get rid of it.

Our team of specialists at BodyWorks Medical Center can help. We work with migraine patients every day and help them identify the root cause of their headaches. That’s only the first step. Next, we figure out your unique triggers so we can design a customized treatment plan just for you. We don’t believe in simply masking your pain or alleviating it temporarily with drugs. Our goal is to help you achieve wellness so you can live medication free and pain-free, stopping migraines before they start.

Discovering your migraine triggers

Migraines affect the lives of about 36 million people in the United States. These debilitating headaches often come with warning signs that can help you head them off at the pass. While your warning signs may fill you with dread, if you’re able to identify exactly your triggers, you may be able to avoid migraines altogether.

Some common migraine triggers include:

• Weather changes
• Foods
• Allergies
• Lights
• Noises
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Physical exertion
• Hormonal changes
• Medications
• Sleep deprivation
• Stress

In order to narrow down the list and find out exactly what’s causing your migraine headaches, we recommend keeping a migraine diary. You can either write down the details or use one of the many helpful apps available, but the goal is the same — record as much information as possible, such as:

• Symptoms
• Time of day
• Location
• Frequency 
• Duration
• Intensity

This helps us pinpoint the cause or causes of your episodes so we can treat you accordingly.

Stress migraines

One of the most common, yet difficult to avoid, triggers for migraines is stress. Stress can either be a primary cause of your migraine or a complicating factor.

Too much stress

Few people in today’s fast-paced society can escape stress. And long-term stress is a serious medical problem that can contribute to heart disease, stroke, and hypertension. 

It can also lead to migraines

Emotional stress not only directly triggers migraines, but it can also keep you from sleeping, which may trigger migraines. And if you are experiencing a migraine, you may feel stressed about that, so the cycle just keeps going with little hope of relief.

Not enough stress

Ironically, if your body is accustomed to constant high-level stress and you suddenly make a lifestyle change (like go on vacation) and cut off that stress, you can actually trigger a type of migraine called “weekend” or “let down” headaches. 

If this sounds familiar, it may be because your brain has become addicted to the chemicals released when your body and mind are on constant overload. And a change of any kind is a common denominator in most people’s migraine story.

Treating stress migraines

Obviously, avoiding stressful situations can help you avoid migraines caused by stress, but how exactly to do that can be challenging. Take inventory of your daily, weekly, and monthly to-do lists, so you can prioritize activities and cut out things that aren’t essential or create more trouble than they’re worth. It can also help you add in activities that bring you joy and help you relax.

But if we’re honest, no one can eliminate stress from their lives completely. So what can you do about your migraines if you can’t quit your job and go live on a tropical island?

Our team of doctors, nurse practitioners, and rehabilitation technicians focus our efforts on getting you well without drugs whenever possible. Improving your overall health and wellness can reduce the frequency and intensity of your migraines. That means we employ an interdisciplinary approach to your treatment plan that includes:

• Chiropractic care
• Massage therapy
• Regenerative medicine
• Physical therapy
• Nutrition

If you’re suffering from recurring migraine headaches and want to reclaim your life, give us a call or book an appointment online to find out if our holistic approach can be the answer you’ve been searching for.