Anyone Tried a Chiropractor?

I'm a 25 year migraine sufferer who really has tried it all. Neuros, headache specialists, triptans, ergots, opiates, herbs, alternative therapies---the list is endless. I'm currently in severe constant migraine pain, eased only by my pain and nausea meds. I see a PM doctor.

I have a friend who is trying to help me, but she doesn't know much about medicine or migraines. She is very misinformed and doesn't know anything about medical and scientific facts. She subscribes to some very weird 'New Age' theories that are completely unscientific. She also doesn't seem to know the difference between migraines and regular headaches. I'm glad she's trying to help me, but unfortunately, she really has no idea what she is talking about.

My friend's story: Several years ago, she was hit in the head by a football (or some other flying object). Shortly thereafter, she began experiencing headaches (which she refers to as 'migraines', incorrectly, I believe). She had NO history of migraine either before or after that incident. As I understand it, those would be referred to as 'post traumatic headaches'. Her pain was CAUSED by the foreign object hitting her in the head, NOT by the internal electrical neurological brain impulses or blood vessel constriction and dilation that causes migraines.

My friend never had to see a real medical doctor and never even tried triptans, ergots, etc. She never had to go to the E.R. because she was suffering so much. In other words, I truly do not believe that my friend ever had migraines. She had post-traumatic headaches caused by an EXTERNAL source, NOT an INTERNAL neurological problem. My friend also broke out in hives. I think some of this was caused by stressful things she was going through at that time in her life.

My friend claims that ONE visit to a chiropractor "CURED HER MIGRAINES'. The chiropractor told her she had a PINCHED NERVE, which was the cause of her headaches. A PINCHED NERVE cannot cause MIGRAINES, correct?

My friend says all it took was ONE VISIT to the chiropractor, who did something to align her back and get rid of the pinching nerve. My friend says that this miraculously 'cured' her 'migraines'. (I don't think that my friend ever had migraines. I think they were regular headaches).

My friend keeps telling me that IF I see a chiropractor, it will magically 'cure the migraines'. My friend also has a million wacky theories about my 'energy force field' being 'off' and claims that the 'electro-magnetic waves emitted by computers and cell phones are driving people insane and causing multitudes of other health problems'. I don't spend all that much time at the computer, and I don't even own a cell phone.

I've truly tried everything EXCEPT a chiropractor, because I've heard the bad ones can cause injuries. My pain doctor confirmed this, and he really knows his stuff. Even my FRIEND admits that SHE saw a 'bad chiropractor' who 'really messed up her back' and left her with lasting INJURIES.

Not only do I think the chiropractor won't help my migraines and MAY injure me, but I also have NO MONEY to even TRY these 'alternative' methods anymore. (Believe me, I spent a FORTUNE on 'alternative' and 'New Age' doctors and healers back when I used to have money.) They were NEVER able to help me at all, just as conventional medicine and doctors were NEVER able to help me, with the exception of my PM doc.

Anyone here tried a chiropractor for migraines? What were the results? Any injuries caused by the chiropractor? My pain doc is very skeptical of chiropractors, but he says if I want to try it, by all means try it. I can't afford it and I'm scared of injuries. I also don't know what to tell my misinformed FRIEND who is CONVINCED that ONE VISIT to a chiropractor will magically 'cure your migraines".

Thanks so much for any info or advice! Best Wishes!

i've also tried it all, over the past 45 years.  my misplaced faith in chiropractors was finally and totally shattered, after many years of falling for their confident "i can help your headaches" line of crap. (sorry to offend anyone, but this is a highly negative post.)

having lived in 10 states, and consulting these people in nearly every state, i can only say that, for me, they are worthless.  one even damaged my neck so much that he ruptured a disc and i had to have ACDF surgery, which is discectomy and fusion, done from the front, or anteriorally.  a BIG surgery.  i now have titanium hardware in my neck at level C3-4, and risk the adjacent vertebrae going bad.  

so NO, my take is "don't do it", and you must figure out a way to get your friend off your case.  maybe tell her that your intuition is informing you that it would be a very bad idea in your case.  how can anyone argue with "gut feelings"?  dianne

My advice would be to not let your friend's misinformed ideas influence you. Just let her know to stop talking to you about your migraines.

I also spent a great deal of money on chiropractors who claimed to be able to cure migraines. Nada, zip, zilch. Money down the drain.

'Curing' migraines, no help. Putting my spine back into alignment in order to help relieve the nerve/muscle pain which is a trigger for me, very helpful, but only after the swelling and pain go away, and it's not permanent. I treat my chronic spine issues similarly to the migraines, and treat the issue when it flares, as there is not a 'cure' for it either.

I will give a more nuanced answer.  I've seen many chiropractors over the years. Mostly for severe neck and shoulder pain caused by a car accident.  I was seeing one when my migraines started in 2006 (headache free before that).  A bulging disk that pinched nerves was the initial triggering factor in my case.   She was not able to do anything to help the migraines.  In general however I found them useful for managing my chronic neck and back pain.

I eventually went to another chiropractor who I think was helpful. While certainly not curing the migraines (fat chance of that), he did help quite a bit with the neck pain that made the migraines much worse. He was very good about not manipulating my neck which only triggers them for me.  I've been to others since then who were worthless ( I moved). 

So mixed results, depending on quality of chiropractor. Do your research carefully to find a good one and be very specific about what you will allow.  It may help with symptoms. Very unlikely to cure your migraines unless there is an underlying nerve issue.  (Yes that can be a problem which is why some people are getting this nerve decompression surgery or Botox). 

If your migraines are biochemically based ( eg trigger foods or hormones) it may not do much for you at all. 

I hope this helps.

Thanks so much for the input, everyone. I really appreciate it!

Dianne, I am so sorry that a bad chiropractor caused such a horrible injury to you! Wow---that really sounds like a nightmare, needing surgery and everything. That's exactly what I want to avoid happening.

If my friend continues to nag me about this, I may end up lying and just telling her that 'I saw a chiropractor and it didn't work". Then she'll probably tell me I saw a bad one and need to see a different one! I'm a very honest person and I hate to lie about anything, but it may be the only way to get my friend off my back. I do tell her about my migraines. It would be even more of a lie to tell her that my migraines magically went away. (I know that no one here said I should lie.) I'm just getting a bit desperate.

Maybe I WILL tell her my 'intuition' is telling me NOT to see a chiropractor. And I cannot afford it. Every chiro I've interviewed tells me I'd need to come back at least 2-3 times a week for an indefinite period of time.

I'm telling my friend about my migraines because I'm trying to get a job and wondered if she had any ideas. I tell her things would be a lot easier if I was healthy, but with my chronic severe migraines I'm in a mess. Anyone who truly knows me knows about my migraines. I don't complain very often, but the migraines are constant and rule my life, so it's hard to pretend that I'm healthy.

My PM doc is so knowledgeable and well-qualified. When I asked him about chiropractors, he said, "I've never figured out exactly what it is they DO". From a scientific standpoint, I agree. Chiros and other New Age 'healers' tell everyone that they have a 'pinched nerve' and/or that 'your energy meridians are out of balance'. Believe me, I know about no results and lots of money down the drain. I've already gone down that road and got nowhere (I just have a LOT less money now).

Thanks for the advice and feedback! Best Wishes!

Tell your friend you did research on the web and found overwhelming reports from other migraineurs that chiropractic didn't help their migraines and in many cases made them worse. BONUS: That's the truth.

Brenda - I'm so sorry to hear you've suffered with them so long. I have been under chiropractic care for 35 years and still have migraines. I have had a full blown migraine and gone to the chiropractor and it's gone in an hour but it always comes back. I have them almost daily.

I have done all the "new age" cures too, with mixed results but they are completely non-invasive. I think the important thing is that we never stop trying. And if I can meditate for 10 minutes a day and the headaches are shorter, hooray!

You need to put some boundaries on that friendship. She has given her opinion and you have explained why you don't want to try it and she needs to back off. You have to be very firm with pople like that and tell them you don't need any more medical advice. You're right, sudden onset after being hit in the head and then going away with one adjustment is not a migraine. So many people think, well, they don't have headaches so we must be doing something wrong and they will solve the problem for us.    I sounds like she's stressing you out and you should let her know she is and if she can't stop it, you will have to spend less time with her. I think those people mean well, but it's just too much.

Good luck! I hope you can find some real help.

going to a chiro. was my last resort for my migraines and after being badgered by friends and family to go to one, I gave in.....worst mistake ever! they did nothing to relieve my migraines and actually made them worse but I hung in there for about 6 months hoping for a miracle.  while I think they might have relieved some of the stress in my neck and shoulders from tensing from the pain of the migraine, they in no way took away the migraines themselves....and think about; if your triggers are foods and smells and lights, how is a chiro. going to help with that?   I would just politely tell your friend "no thanks"

momof2inpa wrote:going to a chiro. was my last resort for my migraines and after being badgered by friends and family to go to one, I gave in.....worst mistake ever! they did nothing to relieve my migraines and actually made them worse but I hung in there for about 6 months hoping for a miracle.  while I think they might have relieved some of the stress in my neck and shoulders from tensing from the pain of the migraine, they in no way took away the migraines themselves....and think about; if your triggers are foods and smells and lights, how is a chiro. going to help with that?   I would just politely tell your friend "no thanks"

I completely second that. No need to lie or give in to pressure, you have a right to make your own decisions based on what you feel is best for you. Just say you have thought about it and decided not to. If more pressure is given just say it is my decision and I've made it. Put a bit of firmness in your voice, that will do it.