Migraine and Pregnancy

Migraine Headaches and Pregnancy presents an uncomfortable scenario for many women. Suffering though migraine headaches while pregnant can be a real challenge. Most of the commonly prescribed medical treatments for migraine aren’t safe during pregnancy. NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen, aspirin, ergotamines, and triptans are linked to pregnancy complications like miscarriage, bleeding, blood pressure complications, complications during delivery, premature birth and birth defects. So what are the migraine relief options available during pregnancy? Let’s talk about a few.

Chiropractic care is an excellent way to manage your migraines while pregnant. Chiropractic care during pregnancy has been shown to be safe and effective in the treatment of migraines. Chiropractic is a medication free alternative that is available to relieve your migraine pain during pregnancy. For more information about chiropractic and migraine research, check this out.

In addition to the chiropractic adjustments, the chiropractors at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic offer additional strategies that may provide you will migraine relief. Myofacial therapy (a type of manual therapy that focuses directly on treating overly tight, tense muscles) is a major part of your overall care at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic. Our chiropractors will also teach you specific therapeutic exercises and movements that you can do at home which may reduce the severity and frequency of your migraines.

What you eat affects how you feel, and (as you probably already know) when you eat better, you feel better. Dr. Kristen Bentson is a nutrition expert who can help you to better understand what to eat, when to eat and how to eat. She is the creator of the YouAnew Lifestyle Nutrition Programs which are designed to  give you all the tools you need to adopt a healthy approach to food. Dr. Kristen Bentson will educate, inspire and motivate you to make lasting lifestyle changes that will lead to an improvement in your overall health, the quality of your pregnancy, the health of that precious baby you carry inside, and may reduce the frequency and severity of your migraines.

Pregnancy is often a relatively stressful time. The chiropractors at Lehigh Valley Chiropractic may also provide you with methods and techniques for managing your pregnancy stress. Migraines are often triggered by stress; the better you are able to manage your stress, the better you may be able to manage your  migraines. Our chiropractors can train you with specific breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation exercises or provide you with a referral to a yoga therapist.

Bottom line: just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you don’t have to suffer with migraines. There are alternatives to the traditional migraine treatments that may not be safe to use during pregnancy. Chiropractic, nutrition, exercise and stress management are all viable ways to manage your migraines while pregnant.