Understanding Silent Migraines

Kilian Chiropractic • October 5, 2020

Have you been experiencing a bundle of unusual symptoms, such as fatigue, stiffness in your neck and constipation?

Are these accompanied by vision symptoms as well, such as tunnel vision or flashing lights and spots?

If you answered yes to these questions, you may be suffering from a medical anomaly known as a “silent migraine”. This is a type of migraine that does not cause a headache, but results in mild to moderate symptoms that can affect other parts of the body.

If you think you may have a silent migraine or constantly suffer from them, it is important to have all the facts. Let’s explore what this condition is, how it is caused and a possible treatment option.

What is a silent migraine?

As mentioned above, a silent migraine is a migraine that presents without the classic “jackhammer in the head” pain. While a person will still experience the aura, which is the term that describes the warning signs and symptoms of an approaching migraine, no headache will follow it.

Although a silent migraine may seem easy to manage (since the pain from the headache is usually the most debilitating part) this type of migraine can still cause severe discomfort.

Symptoms of a silent migraine

While there is no headache associated with a silent migraine, other classic migraine symptoms will still occur. These include distorted vision, nausea, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress and overall malaise.

Additional symptoms may also include a numb feeling in parts of your body, hearing loss and memory loss. While all of these symptoms are temporary, it’s important to be aware of them so you can recognize if and when a silent migraine is starting to take hold.

After reading through these symptoms, you may also be wondering: “how long do migraines last ?” For a typical migraine, symptoms may persist from 4 hours to one full day. This can also be the case with silent migraines.

Causes of a silent migraine

There are a number of established causes that can trigger a silent migraine, most of which overlap with those of a regular migraine. Alcohol and coffee consumption are common causes, as well as certain foods and artificial sweeteners. Changes in the weather, certain medications, strong sounds or smells and stress are also known causes of silent migraines.

In addition, the hormones associated with menstruation, pregnancy and menopause in females can also cause a silent migraine to occur. Older individuals and those with a family history of migraines are at increased risk of silent migraines as well.

How upper cervical chiropractic care can help

If you are constantly suffering from silent migraines, you may have tried a variety of treatment methods. While ibuprofen and other pain medications are effective at alleviating the pain of a silent migraine, it may be in your best interest to consider another form of treatment and prevention.

Upper cervical chiropractic care is an established treatment method for a variety of musculoskeletal-related ailments, including silent migraines. This branch of chiropractic care focuses on the top two bones in the neck, the upper cervical spine and the brain stem. The goal of this treatment is to correct any misalignment present in this portion of the spine.

Properly aligning the upper cervical spine will alleviate any tightness and muscle pain in this area. However, it will also prevent residual pain that can occur from misalignment, such as headaches and migraines.

Start treatment today

If you are suffering from chronic migraines or have just experienced your first silent migraine and don’t want to go through it again, contact our team at Kilian Upper Cervical Chiropractors today.

Located in Aldergrove, BC, our professional chiropractors are ready to get you started. Give us a call at 604-856-7781 or visit our website and fill out our contact form.