Migraine headaches are characterized by horrible pain, frequently associated with light and sound sensitivity and nausea, and are often preceded by some trigger which might be food or alcohol, medication, stress, or even a smell. Migraine headaches are a horrible affliction.

Chiropractic care is making headway against migraine headache pain. Recently, a scientific study was conducted at the Chiropractic Research Center of Macquarie University. The study was specifically designed to assess the usefulness of chiropractic adjustments (also called spinal manipulative therapy) in the treatment of migraine. The results look very promising for migraine sufferers.

The study lasted six months. Chiropractic care lasted only two months with no more than 16 adjustments per participant. (The other four months involved data collection.) The adjustments were made to each spinal area the chiropractors felt were involved. 127 volunteers between the ages of 10 and 70 participated. The diagnosis of migraine was based on the International Headache Society standard, with a minimum of at least one migraine per month.

The average response of the treatment group showed statistically significant results in that they had fewer migraines of shorter duration with less disability and decreased use of medication when compared to the control group that did not receive chiropractic adjustments. After chiropractic care, 22% of participants reported more than a 90% reduction of their migraines. Approximately 50% more of the study's participants reported significantly less severity of each migraine episode.

The conclusions in this study support previous results that show that chiropractic frequently helps with migraines. A high percentage (greater than 80%) of participants pointed to stress as a prime factor for their migraines. Researchers concluded that chiropractic seems to have a positive effect on the physical conditions related to stress.