Migraines and Scoliosis

Scoliosis has more symptoms to it than most people realize. Depending on your age, curve type, activity levels, and even biological sex, there are many different symptoms that can be experienced when you have scoliosis. One of the most common symptoms that is often overlooked, are headaches and migraines, especially in women.

The spine is an important part of the central nervous system, housing thousands of nerves along the vertebrae. The brain and spine work together, creating our central nervous system which plays a massive role in working with every other system in the body. The spine also helps protect the spinal cord which is a giant abundance of nerves that help relay messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Scoliosis related headaches can be a common complaint among individuals with scoliosis, especially those who have a curve in the cervical region of their spine.

There are two ways scoliosis can cause headaches: tensions headaches through muscle strain or migraines. Tension headaches commonly begin to occur when there is a shift in posture, which increases the workload for the muscles surrounding the cervical portion of the spine. Over extended periods of time, a muscle imbalance can occur, putting strain on other muscles causing them to become sore or overly tight. This type of muscle strain is what can lead to tension headaches and if not treated, can become very debilitating to the individual.

Migraines are the second type of headache that can be caused by scoliosis. A migraine is classified as a severe headache that lasts extended periods of time and are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, temporary vision loss, tingling or numbness in parts of the arms of face, and sensitivity to light or sound. When the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure in the brain is low, typically caused by muscle pressure on a nerve or a curve in the upper neck area, is when we are most likely to see these migraines take place.

So, what can you do to treat these migraines? The best thing to do is to seek out a doctor for treatment. When it comes to migraines, especially debilitating and severe ones, waiting is something you should avoid.