Has anyone tried osteopathy for migraines?

[Hiphopfrogger]

I’m at my wits end and I’ve tried everything else. Has anyone tried osteopathy and found it helped at all?

Yes - I had issues in my neck and many, many tension headaches. It helped!!

Did you have problems with neck pain? I’m just wondering because I don’t have any issues with pain anywhere else (no neck or back pain or anything) that I might be barking up the wrong tree…

A cranial osteopath might help.

Ooh I’m interested in this as I’ve just about exhausted every pill for headaches.

Oestopathy is not medicine. At best it is a placebo effect and at worst it can be very dangerous. People have died of stroke after neck manipulation. So take care and don't waste your money on quacks.

It helped mine massively. I do have neck pain but unrelated to my headaches (neck pain for 20 years and headaches for 2, and they don’t flare up at the same time).

My osteo actually did acupuncture - the physio kind rather than the Chinese medicine kind - on my head and neck. It didn’t take them away but reduced their frequency and severity. I think I’d have to keep it periodically ‘topped up’ to help long-term though.

20 year migraine sufferer here. My experience is that cranial osteopathy helps somewhat with migraines but sadly doesn't cure them.
However for some people it does get rid of them completely. It all depends on what the root cause of the migraines are.
For me the main causes are hormones and stress, also my mother suffered from them all of her life until she got to about 55 so I was told by several Gp's that there was probably a hereditary link as well.

It's rare that only one treatment works for chronic migraines. I have found a combination of medication, supplements, osteopath and being mindful of triggers is what helps me best.

You have my sympathy op migraines are dreadful.

Well, worries about strokes aside, I’ll try anything. Good to know it has helped some people!

Read a book called 'heal your headache' it really helped me! Used to have chronic migraines but now only few a year.
Depending how frequently you have them, maybe worth speaking to GP.
My neurologist advised me to never let an osteopath touch my neck (I had treatment for back which did help!)

I’ve had all the things the GP can throw at me - none helped. The latest suggestion was something that was going involve monitoring my kidneys. Didn’t fancy that much so I’m trying other options.

To date have tried:
Triptans
Propranolol
Amitriptyline
Feverfew
Daith piercing
Magnesium supplements
Vitamin B

Still suffering - I suspect hormones and stress are the root cause.

Will check out heal your headache!

Hâve you tried an orthoptist. Really worked for DD. Not had any for a decade now.

I did and unfortunately it didn’t help at all. Mine are definitely hormonal and always right-sided.

Not osteopath, but a physio. She did some acupuncture on my knees (I was keeping an open mind on that) and what I can only describe as neck stretching. Apparently I had a very stiff neck, and it was only when it was eased out and I had a range of motion again I realised how bad it was.

I've now been migraine free for 10+ weeks, after getting then 1-2 times a month. Marvellous witchcraft.

Fellow sufferer here so have every sympathy. Haven't found my trigger yet but suspect its related to constipation and stress. I'm looking at my diet to see if there are any obvious triggers. A friend of mine found that hers is oranges.

Have you asked your GP to refer you to a specialist headache clinic or neurologist. There are lots of medications and other treatments that you haven’t tried yet, but they usually need to be prescribed/administered by a specialist (I’ve had chronic migraine for over 20 years and it took a long time to find something that worked for me).

I found that Botox and CGRP injections are what really made a difference (along with changing my contraception to the Mirena Coil).
They’ll also help you to fill in a headache diary which can help to identify triggers that you might not have considered.

If you’re going to spend money on an osteopath then I’d really consider spending it on an appointment with ‘The National Migraine Centre’ in London instead (if you can afford it/can get to London). I had a couple of sessions with them and they were excellent.

Chinese acupuncture worked for me. I rarely get them now, I was previously having them for half of the month at a Time. It took around 4 sessions to make a difference . I then attended to destress every few weeks and also had cupping.

Hi fellow migraine sufferer’s…
Migraine attacks began over thirty six years ago, and (neurologist told me) I had been given every preventative treatment possible up to middle of last year.
Not a jot of difference was made to either the amount of attacks in a month, nor was there ever any lessening of the intensity…. bloomin disabling.
Cut a long story short, I’ve completed three months of anti cgrp injections so far, and I’m due to take more in the coming months.
I’ve only had two bed ridden days in that three months, which for me is a massive miracle.
I do still get migraines but at a level I can cope with, and it’s starting to change my life.
Also, I’ve lost the daily brain fog, and feel brighter and more enthusiastic about life.
Apparently it doesn’t work for everyone, but this treatment did work for (ever so sceptical) me.
So, ask your gp, your specialist, anyone that’ll listen to you.
Good luck with with it all, and yes migraine is bloody awful, awful, awful.
Wish I could wave a magic wand for all sufferers.
And no, it’s never “just a bad headache”.

National migraine centre - I’ll try that too. The trouble with exploring other preventatives from the GP/hospital is that they seem to come with increasing side effects, brain fog etc which I can’t risk in my job. But maybe im at the point where there’s no choice. Botox might be a goer though…

@Hiphopfrogger

National migraine centre - I’ll try that too. The trouble with exploring other preventatives from the GP/hospital is that they seem to come with increasing side effects, brain fog etc which I can’t risk in my job. But maybe im at the point where there’s no choice. Botox might be a goer though…

I totally understand (I had lots of side effects with some of the preventative medications, especially some of the anti-seizure medications and beta blockers). I found that Botox, nerve blocks and CGRP injections had no real side effects and were also the most effective.