Although chiropractic treatment for migraine is growing in popularity, the evidence is mixed.

chiropractor for migraines, woman receiving chiropractic treatment on her neckShare on Pinterest
yacobchuk/Getty Images

Migraine is a neurological condition. The hallmark symptom of migraine is an intense headache, often described as pounding or throbbing. It’s usually accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light or sound.

While there’s no cure for migraine, there are various treatments to address its symptoms and side effects, including medication or lifestyle changes.

Chiropractic treatments are one type of alternative or complementary treatment. Chiropractic care usually consists of manual therapy, including manipulating the spine.

Studies have found chiropractic care to be effective in treating migraine. However, other studies have found that it may be due to a placebo effect. What works for one person may be different for another.

There are mixed results regarding the effectiveness of chiropractic spinal manipulation for treating migraine attacks. For instance, a review of six trials found that there was not sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of spinal manipulation for migraine.

However, an older study found greater improvement in migraine headaches for people who tried chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy compared to the placebo group.

Although more research is needed, chiropractors have reported that a significant portion of their caseload is for people who experience migraine, indicating strong interest in this complementary therapy.

One 2017 review found that mild to moderate adverse effects were common in both children and adults following spinal manipulation. They were said to occur in anywhere between 23% and 83% of people. These adverse effects included:

  • increased pain or discomfort in the muscles, bones, tendons, or ligaments
  • headache
  • tingling or numbness in upper limbs

These effects typically went away on their own within 24 hours.

More serious adverse effects were also reported in both children and adults. They were rare. Estimates of serious adverse effects ranged from 1 per 2 million manipulations to 13 per 10,000 people. Serious adverse effects included:

Another 2017 meta-analysis found that while some adverse effects and serious adverse effects were reported, reporting standards and guidelines meant there would likely be underreporting, and the methodology of many studies was flawed.

The most frequently reported adverse effects, including serious ones, were:

  • stroke
  • headache
  • vertebral artery dissection
  • increased pain
  • fatigue
  • worsening of symptoms

Before seeing a chiropractor, ask your doctor or migraine specialist whether it’s safe for you to visit a chiropractor. They can also let you know about risks for your personal situation.

Children can and do get migraine. While the treatments are similar, many parents may be hesitant to give medication to their children. Some children have side effects from medications. Many migraine medications are made with adults in mind.

Children do get chiropractic care for various ailments, including migraine attacks. A 2021 study found that chiropractic manipulation was effective in reducing migraine headaches in children ages 7 to 14 but not in reducing the intensity of symptoms when a migraine did occur.

The study found that soreness, headaches, and fatigue were the most common side effects of the treatment but that the did not last longer than 2 hours. There were no serious side effects reported.

Speak with your child’s pediatrician about whether chiropractic care for migraine is recommended. If you do seek chiropractic care, find someone with experience working with children.

People see chiropractors for other types of headaches, not just migraine. Headache is a common complaint among those who see a chiropractor.

Cervicogenic headache

Cervicogenic headaches can look a lot like migraine. The main difference is that while migraine starts in the brain, this kind of headache stems from the neck or the base of the skull.

A 2017 randomized, single-blinded study found that those getting spinal manipulation therapy reported improvements in cervicogenic headache compared with a placebo. More research is needed with larger, double-blinded studies with placebo treatment and chiropractic treatment.

Tension headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Many people with this kind of headache have occurrences about once or twice a month, although some people have them more often. Common therapeutic approaches used by chiropractors include:

  • headache trigger advice
  • spinal manipulation
  • soft tissue therapy
  • stress management guidance

If your headaches start to interfere with everyday life, it’s recommended you see a doctor. It may help to keep a headache log, noting where the pain is and when it occurs. Let the doctor know where you have pain or if you get more than one long-lasting headache a month.

Medical emergency

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or someone you know has a headache that includes these symptoms:

  • slurred speech or drooping of one side of the face
  • new weakness in the arm or leg
  • an aura in which symptoms last more than an hour
  • loss of consciousness
  • sudden and intense onset

Sometimes, symptoms of a stroke can seem like a migraine headache.

While chiropractic care may be considered a complementary or alternative treatment for migraine, some people do find relief from it.

More research is needed to definitively recommend it as a first-line treatment. If you’re interested in trying it, speak with a doctor to see whether it’s safe for you.