Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To present a case study of migraine sufferer who had a dramatic improvement after chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy (CSMT). CLINICAL FEATURES: The case presented is a 72-year-old woman with a 60-year history of migraine headaches, which included nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The average frequency of migraine episodes before treatment was 1 to 2 per week, including nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia; and the average duration of each episode was 1 to 3 days. The patient was treated with CSMT. She reported all episodes being eliminated after CSMT. The patient was certain there had been no other lifestyle changes that could have contributed to her improvement. She also noted that the use of her medication was reduced by 100%. A 7-year follow-up revealed that the person had still not had a single migraine episode in this period. CONCLUSION: This case highlights that a subgroup of migraine patients may respond favorably to CSMT. While a case study does not represent significant scientific evidence, in context with other studies conducted, this study suggests that a trial of CSMT should be considered for chronic, nonresponsive migraine headache, especially if migraine patients are nonresponsive to pharmaceuticals or prefer to use other treatment methods.