Most recent migraines.
Somehow or another, I managed to get migraines 2 out of the last 3 weeks after hockey. I've been stretching regularly, seeing the chiropractor and massage therapist at least once a month. It is frustrating considering the months past I've had no migraines. I haven't changed my diet or exercise habits recently, however, work has been significantly more stressful; working over-nights, increased workload and responsibilities etc.
The first migraine I just dealt with; no meds, no ice, no massage, I just waited it out. The second mirgraine, I tried the same approach as the first, except I massaged and stretched my neck myself. I massaged my neck by folding my hands behind my neck (like I was praying) and used my thumbs to massage both sides of my neck. This significantly helped with the pain. At some point it felt as if the pain went away. Unfortunately I could only massage my own neck for so long. Regardless, the amount of time I was able to spend massaging significantly reduced the overall pain I was feeling.
It seems I keep my stress in my neck and stretching might not cut it for preventing these migraines. Moving forward, I'm going to try and add the self-neck massage into my normal routine to see how that helps.
Most recent migraine
My most recent migraine occurred after a hockey game about 8 weeks ago. I have to admit, I hadn't been stretching my neck like I should have been and it was 5 or 6 weeks since my last adjustment. The migraine came with the normal symptoms: black aura, followed by numbness in my hand then the pain in the head and eyes. It was interesting this time around though, because the aura wasn't that big, the numbness slowly spread from my thumb to my pinky, and the pain wasn't that bad. I didn't take any medicine. I just stretched for a bit and went to bed. I was even able to sleep.
Since then, I've been making a point to get adjusted by the chiropractor every 4 weeks and I've been stretching my neck everyday, many times a day. I haven't had a migraine since, which is good considering I play hockey once a week and do a serious MetCon at least once a week. I am consistently reaffirming that my formula for prevention is regular stretching and chiropractic adjustments every 4 weeks or less.
The stretches that fixed my migraines
After all the different treatments, I really think stretching is what eliminated my migraines. Every day, multiple times a day, I did the following:
- Standing or sitting straight up, reach straight down with your left hand as if you're driving your shoulder to the floor. At the same time, with your right hand gently pull your head sideways like you're reaching for the floor with your ear. You should feel a gentle stretch on the left side of your neck. After 10-15 seconds, do the same thing for your right side.
- From the same seated or standing position, place your left hand on the back of your head. Your elbow should be facing up and your arm should be as close to parallel to your body as you can make it. With your hand in that position, gently push your left shoulder towards the floor, while keeping your elbow in the same position. At the same time, tile your head to the right side as before. After about 10-15 seconds, do the same for your right side.
- With your back straight, from a seated position, gently pull your head down, so that your chin is tucked in to your chest. Hold gently for about 10-15 seconds. You may feel a gentle stretch throughout your entire back.
Migraine-free since March.
I've been migraine-free since March. Whoot! I'm getting adjusted by the chiropractor every 4 weeks or so and I'm going to a massage therapist once a month. I've also been spending a lot of time throughout the day stretching my neck. Now, unfortunately I'm not sure who gets the credit for the fix. Honestly, I think it is the stretching on my own that is doing the trick, but who doesn't want a massage every month?
Hours in front of the computer is more hurtful (to your overall fitness) than people realize. Stretch people stretch! Here's to good health!
Is the Chiropractor the migraine fixer?
I recently met a young chiropractor who suggested he may be able to help me with my migraine problem. He gave me an evaluation, and we discussed what was out of whack, which he referred to as subluxations, and the impact these subluxations have on my overall well being. One of the areas he focused on was my neck; from my traps to the base of my skull. Since I don't remember all of the terms, I can't get into detail about all of the adjustments he made. He did tell me I need to make my neck stronger and I needed to spend more time stretching it. So I've been focusing on keep my head straight and stretching as often as possible.
Since my first adjustment I've only had one hockey game. I did not get a migraine after, and if there was a game that would induce a migraine it was that one (I was one of six skaters on my team). The chiropractor asked me to push myself a little harder than I've been to see if I get a migraine or not. So I'm not claiming to be out of the woods yet but I'm interested in seeing how this goes.