Have you ever had a headache? Probably a good portion of people in the world have them practically every day, am I right? Now here comes the fun part. How many of you have ever had a headache that caused extreme nausea, swelling around your eyes, and barely had the energy to breathe? If you have experienced this, then you may be suffering from what is called "migraine headaches". Migraines impact roughly 26 million Americans, and 11 million of these people suffer from immobilizing migraines. I chose to write about migraines because unfortunately, I am one of these 11 million. First of all, I would like to point out that a migraine is much more than just a "bad headache". Now, you're probably wondering what it is. When you suffer from a migraine, the blood vessels in your head rapidly swell and shrink, causing extreme amounts of pain. It feels like someone has your head locked in a vice and is cranking it tighter every other minute. This excruciating pain can last anywhere from an hour to well over a week. Migraines are also a disease, not just a nuisance. They aren't contagious, so you can't obtain a migraine ~ simply because someone else has one. They are simply a part of your life that you learn to cope with. Migraines also have many causes. One cause for a migraine is that they might be hereditary, passed down from people in your family such as your mother. Hunger, fatigue, stress, weather changes, emotional distress, and certain foods are some of the many triggers. Dr. Scott Anderson, my chiropractor, explained to me just how many different foods can trigger a migraine. Caffeine, chocolate, raw fruits and vegetables can all be to blame, as well as not drinking enough water. He also explained how there might be times when you move your head wrong, and the muscles tense up. The muscles pull and cause a great deal of pain, leading to a migraine. Trauma to the neck, head, back, or hip also will create a migraine. If you have arthritis, or are a woman, your chances of suffering from migraine headaches are much greater than that of a man's or someone without arthritic disorders. The symptoms of migraine headaches are different for every person. Photosensitivity is one example. Some people, when they have a migraine, cannot be around light because of how sensitive their eyes become to it. You also become sensitive to sound, smells, and tastes, which proves that migraines often cause problems with your senses. Migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, numbness on one side or all of the body, flashing lights in front of your eyes, and mental and physical exhaustion. Migraine headaches affect life greatly for those who suffer from them. The migraine itself weakens you to the point where all you want to do is sleep. On top of this, you may be prescribed strong medications, which can get rather powerful and create fatigue. The mental exhaustion also takes a rather large toll. Migraines create unimaginable amounts of frustration and anger. Being a person who was diagnosed with migraines at age 12, I know this. I am now 16 and just recently have been able to go a month without a disabling migraine. I went through over 4 years of medications, doctors, and random guesses. The process of treating them creates so much aggravation because you wonder why this is happening. This state of mind often leads to depression, and the feeling to just give up. The younger you are, the more hassling migraines are. Once again, I can speak from experience when I say your school and work suffer as well. In one school year I missed almost 40 days due to migraines. There were also many days that I forced myself to go with a migraine so I wouldn't fall behind. If you miss work or school, obviously you will fall behind in whatever you should be doing, and even if you force yourself to go, you barely have enough concentration to last long at all. Another way they affect life concerns expenses. Medications and doctors become rather costly. Immitrex, for example, costs roughly $200 for 9 pills. Some doctors charge up to $700 per visit. Thankfully, insurance can cover most, if not all, of these expenses. No matter how hopeless it may seem, there are treatments for migraines. As Dr. Anderson, whom I previously mentioned before, and Dr. Robert Kaniecki explained, migraines are simply permanent. However, you can make them more bearable. The first step is to know if your headaches are migraines or not. Most neurologists will be able to help with this. The next, if you have been diagnosed, is probably medication. Imipramine, Depakote, Celexa, Elavil, Propanolol, and Topamax are some medications that can be taken on a daily basis to prevent migraines. Immitrex, Maxalt and Zomig are three that can be taken at the onset of a migraine, in hopes of stopping it entirely. On the other hand, there are more natural medications. Vitamins such as Magnesium and CoQ-10 are two that can be taken daily. If you do have a migraine, and you talk to your doctor, he or she may even send you to the emergency room if it is bad enough. There, you will more than likely be given strong painkillers or narcotics to stop the pain. These medications, for sure, will cause fatigue. Now, if you are against medication, I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor. A chiropractor is one of the most natural and helpful ways to treat migraines. Dr. Anderson, like I mentioned before, is the chiropractor I go to. I have been a patient of his for roughly 4 years, and have noticed an immense change in my migraines. A chiropractor will adjust your neck, back, anywhere they feel is a source for your pain or migraine. If you are lucky, like me, you might even obtain a nutritionist for a chiropractor. This is very helpful in creating a diet to work around the foods that trigger migraines. There is one specific area that is important to point out. This is the misconception of migraines. Many people assume migraines are easy to diagnose and treat. Surprisingly, the truth is the exact opposite. In fact, 60% of women and 70% of men that do suffer from migraines are never even diagnosed with them. Most doctors cannot diagnose migraine headaches, and even if they do diagnose them, they are next to impossible to treat. For some people, migraines might be treated with medications quickly. However, there are many cases in which the migraines take years to treat and control. The thought that medications cure migraines completely is unrealistic. In many cases, the medications can make the migraines worse. Sometimes doctors are unsure of the strength or dosage to give their patients and often give them too low a dose. Medications can cause other serious medical problems. If you are sent to the emergency room enough, or are prescribed a strong painkiller, it is easy to become addicted to them. You become dependant on the painkillers and narcotics to help you. Obviously, this leads to extremely dangerous and serious medical setbacks. Another false impression is that migraines are not life threatening. It has been proven that migraines can be tied into strokes, aneurysms, visual loss, coma, and epileptic seizure disorders. Although it is rare, some of these problems can even lead to death. Most people believe you bring migraines on yourself. While the self-inflicted stress some people endure can lead to a migraine, for the most part migraines are medical. They are as real as diabetes, arthritis, and cancer.

When I was 12 years old, I was diagnosed with migraine headaches. My family and doctors are unsure of how long exactly I have suffered from them. Shortly after a bike accident, in which I was thrown over the handlebars of the bike, I felt that my migraines and physical pain were becoming too immense to deal with on my own. My mother agreed with me and took me with her for an appointment with the chiropractor she was currently going to, Dr. Anderson. I had noticed an amazing improvement in my mother since her first appointment, and I figured that I couldn't be much worse off, so why not take a chance. That was 4 years ago, and I am still a patient of Dr. Anderson's today. Regardless of where he was located, my mother and I managed to get to our appointments. Before my first adjustments, I had no idea how much pain I really was in. My neck always needed to be adjusted, as well as my back. Even though I still need adjustments, they are hardly as bad as they were in the beginning. Dr. Anderson has helped me to control my migraines, and avoid physical problems that I mentioned before, that might trigger one. Also, being a nutritionist, he advised me to steer away from the caffeine intake I was currently at. Caffeine can trigger a migraine easily, and naturally I am willing to give up a daily cappuccino to avoid a migraine later in the day. In the past four years, I have made a great deal of progress, as I have gone from painful, daily migraines, to less severe monthly migraines. A good portion of my improvement is due to Dr. Anderson, and the great deal of treatment that I have received since my first appointment. Without his help, it's guaranteed I wouldn't be as successful as I am at this point in my life.

Sarah Bollman, Age 16

I awoke about a month prior to visiting Anderson Chiropractic with severe pain in my neck area and numbness in my right hand.  Assuming it was the normal 'bad night's sleep,' I waited a few days for the pain to subside.  When it did not dissipate, I contacted my medical doctor who prescribed muscle relaxants.  For two more days I suffered with no improvement.  On the fourth day of pain, I mentioned to two co-workers what I was going through and they BOTH immediately swore to me that chiropractic help was not only needed, but needed IMMEDIATELY!  While I was a skeptic of the first degree, I felt that I had no other choice as medication was certainly not working and I was desperate for relief.  

I was able to make an emergency visit that first day and received my first treatment.  WOW! is all I can say.  I experienced immediate relief for the first time that week.  Dr. Anderson knew exactly where my problems were and corrected them precisely and effectively.  The following ice and electrical stimulation was especially soothing and relaxing. 

Having been educated by the professional staff at Anderson Chiropractic, I was aware that the pain would come back, which it did.  However, I followed the treatment schedule as prescribed and each time the improvement was immediate and the effects were longer lasting.  I am now in my fourth week of treatment and my pain has been gone completely for the better part of that time.  The numbness in my fingers lessens each day.  

Being a web designer who spends 3/4 of her day on the keyboard, it's needless to say that Anderson Chiropractic has literally given me back my life.  I will be forever grateful to them -- and my two friends who so adamantly recommended them!

Kathy B.

I originally sought treatment for neck and back pain. I was diagnosed with scoliosis by my medical doctor at a young age. This condition continued to get worse throughout the years but the doctors said it could not be helped. The scoliosis caused me to suffer with extreme back pain and often limited my active lifestyle.

I was also diagnosed with migraine at age 13. I was instructed by my medical doctor to take over-the-counter pain medications, antihistamines/decongestants, and Immitrex if needed.

After being evaluated by Dr. Anderson, he informed me that I had many spinal misalignments in addition to the scoliosis.

Because of Dr. Anderson's treatments and nutritional advice, I have been essentially free of headaches, migraines, neck and back pain for 8 years. His treatments also helped my digestive problems and allergies tremendously.

I can live a much healthier and happier life because of chiropractic and Dr. Anderson.

Nicole F.

I started going to Dr. Anderson only about two weeks ago.  I went to see him because I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia.  I have been to many doctors with no relief.  After only two weeks of seeing Dr. Anderson, I have not had any irritable bowel problems and my pain due to fibromyalgia has decreased tremendously.  Dr. Anderson has a wealth of knowledge regarding the body and its overall functions.  I would recommend him to anyone.  I feel that I am finally gaining control of my body and am able to function so much better each day.  I would like to thank Dr. Anderson for working with me and giving me the faith to believe I could overcome my health issues.

Nancy Puharic....