Migraine or Headache: What Helps During an Attack?

What is migraine or headache?

Headache is one of the most common complaints we see at Embody Health Chiropractie. Persistent headache or migraine can take over your days: you reach for painkillers, cancel plans, and wonder where it comes from. Migraine is a condition that causes a severe headache, feeling sick, and sensitivity to light. An attack often goes through phases. Your first visit costs €39 and requires no referral from your GP. During the intake and examination we look at whether your headache relates to tension or blockages in the neck and the upper spine.

Across our three clinics in Alphen aan den Rijn, Amersfoort, and Rotterdam, we have helped more than 2500 people with back, neck, and headache complaints over 12 years. Patients rate us on average 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google. Many people assume headache is just part of life, but persistent headache is not normal and deserves a look at the cause.

Not every headache is the same. Tension headaches feel like a band around the head and often come with ongoing tension in the neck and shoulders. Migraine is different: usually a throbbing, often one-sided headache, with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. A migraine attack typically lasts between 4 and 72 hours in adults and stops you from doing your daily tasks. Most Dutch health insurers (partially) reimburse chiropractic care from the supplementary package, without touching your deductible.

The migraine attack: symptoms and phases

A migraine attack often goes through phases. Some people get warning signs before the head pain, called aura: seeing zigzag lines or flashing lights, numbness or tingling, or difficulty speaking. Aura symptoms should not last longer than an hour. Then the headache phase follows: throbbing pain, often on one side of the head, worse when you move around, with nausea and vomiting. Many people become very sensitive to light and sound and retreat to a dark, quiet room.

After the attack, many people feel exhausted, as if they have run a marathon. Sometimes the next attack follows within days. If you have migraine attacks on fifteen or more days a month, it is called chronic migraine. Also watch for medication-overuse headache: taking painkillers on more than fifteen days a month can make headaches worse instead of better. The NHS advises not taking painkillers for headaches more than two days a week.

Migraine with aura

Migraine with aura is a well-known form of migraine. The aura is a temporary change in the brain that usually happens just before the head pain: flashing lights, zigzag lines, a blurry spot, or tingling in an arm. The symptoms build up gradually and rarely last longer than an hour. If your migraine attacks change or get worse, or the aura lasts longer than an hour, see your GP. Women with migraine with aura have a slightly higher risk of cardiovascular problems, especially if they smoke; your GP can advise what that means for you.

Chronic migraine and medication-overuse headache

In chronic migraine, headache occurs on fifteen or more days per month for more than three months, with at least eight days of migraine. Preventive treatment is worth discussing with your GP if you have two or more migraine attacks a month. Your GP or neurologist decides which preventive medicine fits your situation. Medication-overuse headache is part of the picture: taking too many painkillers can increase the headache. Always discuss your medicine use with your GP.

Causes of migraine

Migraine often runs in families: most people with migraine have a family member who has it too. During an attack, changes in nerves and blood vessels in the brain trigger the symptoms. Women are three times more likely than men to get migraine; hormones play a role. Many women notice that attacks are more frequent or severe around menstruation. Known triggers include stress, too little sleep, irregular meals, certain foods and drinks, and too much screen time. Keeping a migraine diary helps you recognize your personal triggers.

Neck complaints play a role for many people with migraine: tension in the neck and shoulders can trigger or worsen an attack, and some headache literally starts in the neck (cervicogenic headache). That neck component is exactly what we examine. During the first visit we assess together whether chiropractic care is a useful addition to the care you already receive from your GP or neurologist.

Our first step: assess headache safely

Safety is the starting point at our first visit too: we screen first for headache that needs medical assessment. Most headache is harmless, but a headache that comes on suddenly and is extremely painful, headache with fever and a stiff neck, or headache with sudden vision problems, weakness, or trouble speaking belongs with the GP first — we guide you through that. Also see a GP if the headache started after a blow to the head. The NHS lists these as signs that need immediate medical attention, together with feeling drowsy or confused or having a seizure. Once serious causes are ruled out, we investigate whether chiropractic care can help: that is where we can help.

What can a chiropractor do for migraine?

Chiropractic is not a treatment for migraine itself; migraine remains a medical condition. We do examine whether tension or restricted mobility of the cervical spine contributes to your attacks. A systematic review on spinal manipulation for migraine suggests this approach may reduce the frequency and severity of attacks in some people; the evidence is limited and results vary per person. A 2000 randomised trial on chiropractic spinal manipulation for migraine found fewer and milder attacks in some participants; combined with the review above, the picture is cautiously positive, but not for everyone. That honesty is part of our approach: you always get a careful assessment.

During your first visit we map your complaints thoroughly. We examine your posture and the mobility of your neck and upper spine, and perform orthopaedic and neurological tests where needed. If your neck contributes to your complaints, we work with gentle, precise adjustments, posture advice, and relaxation exercises. We always coordinate with the care you already receive.

Most Dutch health insurers (partially) reimburse chiropractic care from the supplementary package, without touching your deductible. Your first visit costs €39; a single follow-up consultation is €65 and a consultation in a recovery package €55. See what your health insurer reimburses and the prices.

What can you do yourself during a migraine attack?

Rest and take your medicine at the first signs of an attack: lie down in a dark, quiet room and take the painkiller your GP advised, ideally at the start of the headache. A migraine diary helps you recognize triggers: note when attacks come, what you ate, and how you slept. Regular meals and sleep times, regular exercise, and limiting screen time help many people with migraine. Talk to your GP about preventive medicine; do not start it yourself. Read more about neck complaints that can worsen headache.