Migraines Relief in Cranberry Township

What causes a migraine?

Migraines can be caused by a variety of factors—it really depends on the individual. What is generally understood is that migraines are related to the central nervous system, and when something is “off” with this body system, migraines can result.

Triggers

Stress can be a significant triggering factor for migraines. This stress can be psychological, or it can be physical. Exposure to screens, prolonged time outdoors, sun exposure, and physical exertion can all trigger migraines. With regard to psychological stress, triggers that can cause migraines include anxiety, conflict, long work hours, and the use of stimulants and other substances.

The Central Nervous System & Migraines

The central nervous system, which contains the brain and the spinal cord, is closely associated with migraines. The central nervous system can be disrupted by subluxations in the spine. Subluxations occur when a joint moves out of alignment. In the spine, this can occur at any point from the top of the spine to the base.

Subluxations (misalignments) can happen very easily, and many (if not most) people are dealing with subluxations on a regular basis. A subluxation can occur at any point in the lifetime, including to kids. They can be a result of sudden movements, prolonged positions or sitting or standing, exercise, injuries, car accidents, and other lifestyle factors.

If you’ve been suffering with migraines and have ever experienced back or neck pain, or experienced a fall, athletic injury, or car accident, there is a strong possibility that you could be experiencing one or more subluxations. Subluxations that occur in the cervical spine (the neck) are particularly common in patients who experience regular migraines.

Linda Donaldson

Hi! I’m Linda Donaldson and I have been a patient at Family Chiropractic for almost three months. I sought out chiropractic care because my migraines had become so severe and frequent. Sadly I was out of commission about once a week for at least 24 hours. More and more frequently my husband had to take me to the ER for IV narcotics and fluids. That was our last option after Imitrex and other prescription pain killers didn’t work anymore. I also saw the effect my migraines were having on our kids. It had become commonplace for the kids to be told “I’m sorry but you can’t see Mama, she had a headache.” In fact, if either of them ever saw me resting the immediate question was “Oh Mama, do you have a headache again?”

Seana R.

Before I started getting adjusted regularly, I would let my pain drive me to the Chiropractor. I never realized that getting adjusted at least once a week would significantly reduce all of my pain and symptoms, improving my overall health.

I was suffering from extreme migraines that were greatly affecting my daily life at least twice a week. As the headaches were becoming more severe, so was my pain. I would lose my appetite, had terrible sleeping patterns, and even being labeled as someone with “a bad immune system” as I was always sick. I was still receiving treatments for a blood disorder up until a month before starting as a patient at Family Chiropractic.

Mary Limbacher

For years I have suffered from daily headaches that I attributed to holding stress in my shoulders. After being diagnosed with arthritis in my neck, physical therapists told me that I was too young to have these problems in my spine and I felt I would just have to get use to the pain. Before meeting Dr. Amanda, I wasn’t sold on the idea of chiropractic. Her gentle encouragement and promise of relief left me with no excuses. After my first visit, the troublesome vertebrae was set back into place and I was amazed that the headaches, went away. During my visits I learned how a lower back injury many years ago more than likely caused the deterioration in my upper disks and that I didn’t have to accept the consequences. Dr. Amanda is extremely knowledgeable and explains everything in ways that are easy to understand.

Nancy M.

Several months ago, I was blessed to be chosen as one of the patients in Dr. Amanda & Dr. Cotey’s Migraine Challenge. I have had migraines for over 30 years and was having 3-4 a week, even though I am taking daily migraine medicine. At my initial evaluation, I learned that I had very little curve in my neck and my spine was tilting to the side. After only a few weeks of care, I went 24 days without a migraine! At my 3 month recheck, I was delighted to learn that my neck is beginning to curve and my spine tilt is improving. And, not just my migraines are being affected… my energy level has increased significantly and my body is functioning at a higher level. The personal attention you get from both doctor’s and the office staff is second to none. I am on my way to a migraine-free life and am blessed that God led me to these wonderful people!

Robyn P.

I’ve suffered from neck pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, and weather induced sinus headaches at least 1-2 times per week for the better part of the past 5 years.

Sometimes the headaches were so severe that I would spend the better part of a day in bed feeling sick and then throw up.

Just hearing that the weather was about to change was enough to make me anxious, just waiting for the onset of these debilitating symptoms. I’d heard about Family Chiropractic from a friend of mine who has been a patient for years. I followed her, step by step, through one of her prescheduled appointments and my curiosity grew.

I decided to schedule my own appointment to see if these Doctors could help me and I’m so glad that I did!

Jaclyn A.

In my teenage years I started seeing my Pediatrician for headaches. He prescribed me a lot of different pills and injections. I was hospitalized several times throughout high school for these headaches and was given several medicines and exams.

In 2003, I was diagnosed by a very well-known doctor at the UPMC Headache Center with severe chronic migraines. My migraines were so bad that I had them daily, often waking up with one, as well as, going to bed at night with one. Sleeping was the only thing that helped; I wasn’t able to feel the pain while sleeping.

I finished high school and 4 years of college with daily migraines. Some days were worse than others, however, I continued functioning the best that I could. I continued to see many doctors and even dentists with no actual success in relieving my pain.

Fast forward 18 years, I was still struggling with daily chronic migraines, when I got hurt at the gym. My neck was stiff and I needed to see a chiropractor. My gym partner that day told me that she knew of an amazing chiropractor that also focused on migraines. (BONUS, Yippee!)

Sabrina B.

I’ve suffered from headaches and migraines for longer than I can remember. For a while they would come and go but over the last three years they became a normal part of my everyday life. When I’d listen to how other people would describe a “bad headache”, I would just sit there and realize that would be a GOOD day for me.

When a migraine would hit, I would have to lock myself in my bedroom – avoiding any lights, smells, and sounds – feeling horribly sick and miserable. I had to learn to suffer through and function with a migraine so that I could do normal, everyday things. Trying to explain to someone who has never experience a migraine what you’re going through is impossible. I tried to get help from several different doctors and had given up when the last option I got was a blood pressure medication that “has helped some people with migraines but might drop your blood pressure and make you pass out, but let’s give it a try anyway.”. Needless to say, I had pretty much given up hope in finding relief. Thankfully, that is when things changed for the better.

Cipriana G.

In my 20s, I was scared to turn 30. There was no real reason, it was just a big turning point in maturity. Maybe I expected it to be like y2k and I assumed everything in my body was going to suddenly stop working properly. A week before my 30th birthday, they seemed to happen. It started off with a headache that no amount of ibuprofen would lessen. I missed my 30th birthday, and the following week I suffered through Christmas, and then New Years, my husbands birthday, Valentine’s Day, and our anniversary. It was every single day. If this was 30, I wanted no part of it. I was depressed and frustrated because my pain came out of nowhere and it never stopped. Trips to the ER were only a band-aid solution. Doctors didn’t care. “Here, take this drug and don’t call me for 3 months, no matter the side effects”. That’s how we treat people with chronic illnesses? I was sick. Sick of life. Sick of pain. Sick of being so dependent on my husband when I am ordinarily a person that will refuse any kind of help.

Karen S.

I’ve suffered with migraines for more than 15 years. I’ve spent countless days in bed in unbearable pain. For me, a typical migraine would occur 2-3 times per month and last 3-5 days at a time.

(That equates to nearly half of my days spent suffering every single month!)

When down with a migraine, I was unable to eat or drink anything because, if I did, I would end up vomiting.

This affected nearly every aspect of my life! (My family, friendships, work, etc.) I hated that my family had to take care of me; checking on me, bringing me ice packs, and trying to comfort me. This is no way to live. I just wanted someone to tell me WHY am I getting these migraines???
Conventional medical experts answered my question with “Here, try this pill!”, which only provided temporary relief. My search continued.

Caitlin S

It was not one big reason that lead me to find Family Chiropractic, but rather a lot of small reasons that I had let linger on too long.
A few migraines a month, constant “knots” in my upper back, a nagging hip injury… I just never made time, and each individual issue seemed minor enough.

I’d finally had enough with the migraines and, after my initial evaluation, realized that my spine was a complete mess! All of these issues were connected and making each other worse as time went on. Add two busy kids and a career into the mix, and I was just causing more harm to myself the longer I waited to fix it!

Kim T.

I had headaches more often than not. Some of them would last for days at a time and others for almost a full week. They would take all of my energy, making me feel useless as a wife and a mother. I was so irritable because I was always tired and constantly in pain.
At the age of 32, I had lost almost all hope that someone could help “fix me.”

I had been to other doctors, physicians, and more than just one Chiropractor without results. Trying to find a way to feel better was even becoming exhausting! The ad for Family Chiropractic showed up on my social media newsfeed daily because I knew several other people who went there. I began to think that perhaps this was happening for a reason, so I reached out. When I started care here, I wasn’t sure what to expect and honestly didn’t want to get my hopes up.

Sammie E.

I suffered my first migraine at the age of 23… by the age of 32, I was rushed to the ER on stroke alert. I was diagnosed with a TIA but, after a second episode, the diagnosis was changed to complex migraines. I was referred to a local neurologist for treatment. I found little to no success with preventative medications or the medications for breakthrough migraines which had become chronic. My overall health spiraled out of control. I was on so many medications that I didn’t know what medications were doing what any more for good or for bad. When all the medications did not help, the doctor recommended Botox injections. My real breakthrough began a few years ago when my husband changed jobs and we lost our health insurance. I couldn’t afford all those medications without insurance so I was forced to wean off of them.

This led me to focus on what I could control – my lifestyle choices. During those six months, I lost weight and my migraines stopped. In 2018, my doctor noticed I had a head tremor. I then developed hand and jaw tremors as well. In 2019, the tremors worsened, the migraines returned, and I started to experience debilitating low back spasms. I ended up back in the ER on stroke alert due to new complex migraine symptoms.

Theresa H.

I used to lose about 12 days a month for migraines. I’d either spend the day in bed, or on the bathroom floor, or have so much medication in me that I was a zombie. Another five or six days would be the migraine hangover days – you know, when you’re so tired and wrung out but you just have to …(fill in the blank)…with housework, work, or whatever because you just spent the last day or two in bed.

I’ve been to other doctors, specialists, neurologists – same answers, all the time:
“Go to bed and get up at the same time!”, “Regular exercise!”, “Good diet!”, “RELAX!”, “Manage your stress!”, “Eliminate your triggers!”… Blah, blah, blah!
Oh – and, of course, PILLS!

Adam R.

I came to Family Chiropractic to get help with my migraines. I had already tried many different avenues such as prescription and over-the-counter medicines, acupuncture, vitamins, supplements, and other chiropractors, in an effort to find relief from my migraines. Although these methods would temporarily help, it was never a permanent solution.

This is where Family Chiropractic out shines all of the other things that I have tried. They listen to you carefully and empathize with your symptoms. They look for the root cause of your issue and attack it with a systematic plan.

After going through the first phase of my care plan, we have dramatically decreased my migraines – going from 3 to 4 per week to just ONE in a three month period! This has, in turn, helped me with other health issues relating to my digestive system from (previously) overburdening it with pills. My overall stress level has also decreased.

Family Chiropractic has changed my life in the sense that it has given me the freedom to live without worry. I used to constantly worry about having a migraine attack and that limited my social activities……but now if I feel like going out, I do not hesitate!

Sharon T.

Scrolling through Facebook one day, I saw Dr. Amanda posting about The Pittsburgh Migraine Challenge. I commented and agreed how awful migraines are and we chatted back and forth for a few moments on her post. I told myself that I was managing with my medications and my migraines “weren’t that bad”. Plus, I didn’t believe in a chiropractor and I didn’t have time in my life to become “addicted” to having my body adjusted. I had migraines, I was constantly exhausted and at 33 years old, I couldn’t do small tasks. I couldn’t unload and reload the dishwasher without severe back pain. I couldn’t walk around the zoo with my family and have energy to do anything else when I got home. I assumed it was me being overweight. I assumed once I lost some weight, I’d be fine! I just couldn’t muster the energy after working all day to workout at night.

In September 2020, over Labor Day weekend I went camping with my family. I forgot to take my migraine medicine but I figured it wasn’t a big deal. I felt a migraine starting and I started hitting my daily and rescue meds hoping to kick it. I had that migraine for two straight weeks; nothing I did could break it. That’s when I was done. I had it. I was sick and tired of my migraines and not being able to put my full effort into my job nor my family. I reached out to The Pittsburgh Migraine Challenge and met with Dr. Cotey. Everything he said during our first meeting made sense. I’ve always just had medications thrown at me rather than having someone figure out WHY I was having them.

Allison K.

WHY was I cursed with migraines?!?
Was I working too much? Was it hormones? Dehydration? Nutrition? Allergies? Lack of sleep? Anxiety? Stress?

Everything and anything was to blame but I never found a solution, and I’d just about given up. There I went, pushing away my migraines with OTC meds and every trick I could think of so I could get through the days, just for my headaches to come right back. I was walking on eggshells. I started getting new symptoms and my “migraine attacks” were totally taking over my life. I have 3 kids to raise, a business to run, a life to live, and I didn’t have time for these constant headaches! I was not the person I wanted to be. I was exhausted, unmotivated, and downright mean on most days. How was I supposed to take care of everyone else if I couldn’t even take care of myself? I put my mom guilt aside and realized that NOW was my time. I had to do this for myself AND my family – so I made the phone call to Family Chiropractic. I hoped it was the answer to my prayers. I’ve been suffering with migraines since I was a kid and I had my doubts that anything would REALLY help me, but I knew relying on medication daily just to feel “OK” wasn’t, in fact, OK.

Rozlyn Ludolff

Migraines. If you’ve had them, you know how disabling they can be.

Since puberty, I have suffered from migraines. As I got older, they got worse. I am thirty-two years old now. I have four kids and am a stay-at-home mom living the old-fashioned family way where mom does EVERYTHING but go to work. The migraines have always been there. They made me easily irritated. Noise, light, and smells all seemed to set me off. I was lucky to have 4 – 5 days a month without some sort of pain. I generally got through my days with happiness simply because I love being a mom! However, one day my 4-year-old asked me, “Can we do something other than sit around the house all day today?”, and my heart sank.

I did not realize how much time I actually spent laying around the dark house with a quiet television on to catch their attention. I was in and out of sleep to try and get past feeling so sick. I became fearful to drive with my kids in the car because I’d lose my vision for several moments at a time and would become disoriented. I was afraid that I’d drop my infant when this happened so there were days when I’d rarely hold her. My husband and I would argue often because I would act so mean.

Amy B.

In February of 2021, I began to experience severe headaches that sat in the back of my head. At first, I thought it was just allergies, then maybe a sinus infection and even perhaps my anxiety medication. But, after a month of suffering from these on and off headaches, I began to experience the pain all day, every day – waking up with it in the morning and going to bed with it at night despite all the medications I would take in an attempt to relieve it.

Within a month of onset of this pain, I began to experience some pretty terrifying side effects, like confusion, disorientation and dizziness. I would be driving home and forget where I was going or, while rooming a patient at work, I would forget why I was even in the room! I saw my PCP and, after a brief neurologic exam, she sent me to the ER for a more thorough evaluation. It was scary, to say the least.

Six hours later, following a CT scan and bloodwork, I was no closer to receiving an answer. My choice, at that point, was to either be admitted for further in-patient consults or to see a Neurologist in the outpatient setting. I am a mother to a five-year old – there was no way I could subject him to my staying overnight at the Hospital unless it was absolutely necessary, so I decided to seek out a Neurologist as an outpatient and go home to my son. This was in April.

Valery C.

I received a flier in the mail advertising the Pittsburgh Migraine Challenge and I wanted to see what it was all about.

I had been dealing with migraines 3 – 4 days per month for the past 15 years and, while I have tried many different things, I have never tried this kind of chiropractic program before.​

When Dr. Cotey showed me my initial x-rays, I was really taken aback by how misaligned I was! And then to see my progress upon re-exam, just 12 weeks later, was incredibly eye-opening!

​I have been feeling so much better. I do still get an occasional migraine, usually around my menstrual cycle, but it is way less severe and no longer debilitating. There are times when I still need to take my migraine medication but then I can literally continue on with my day.

Jacob O.

I initially came to Family Chiropractic due to nagging migraines that had slowly become more consistent but, after becoming a patient and receiving X-rays, I realized I had quite a bit of skeletal misalignment in my neck and hips.

Originally, it looked like I was reading the x-ray of my hips crooked because of the severe angle they were situated in, but I soon found out that I was just that far out of alignment. Though my original adjustments we were focusing primarily on my neck and upper back, my 3-month follow-up x-rays revealed that my hips were almost back to normal position, as well!

Shortly after discovering this, I began to supplement my routine adjustments by doing postural exercises to help reverse the effects of sitting for prolonged periods of time.

After performing these, my adjustments began to drastically improve and I experienced my longest migraine-free streak in over a year… 40+ days!

At my worst, I used to suffer from migraines every other day, so I can definitely say that I have made massive progress here at Family Chiropractic!

Allyssa P.

If you’re reading this, I’m “famous” now. Famous because of my subluxations.
Hi – my name is Allyssa. I am a 28-year-old wife and mother of two. I love cooking, listening to podcasts and looking up menus of restaurants that I’ll never go to. A lot of my favorite things have always involved movement. I used to love looking for salamanders on a hike. Going for walks with my friends. Exploring markets and going to new places with my husband. However, all of this has drastically changed over the last seven years.
On August 20, 2014, my 21st birthday, I was involved in a pretty significant car accident. 3 vehicles were totaled and I was pretty shaken up. Thankfully, I walked away with only minor scrapes and bruises. I was told that I had “minor whiplash” and was given instructions to rest for the next week. No big deal…right?

I met Tom a few months later and was so excited to start my life with my “person”. We quickly planned to start traveling the following summer. It was a dream come true… but my body had other plans. About a year after the accident, I began to experience severe migraines – ones that would count me out for days at a time. I started waking up in the morning with severe joint pain and back pain. I was unable to walk for long distances. Everywhere I went, I would have to bring icy hot, ibuprofen, and an extra pair of shoes simply to maintain some level of comfort. With my ability to move freely now so drastically reduced, Ibegan to gain weight. I started to become very anxious about going anywhere because of the amount of recovery time my body would now require after just a single day trip to the zoo or, sometimes, even just a walk around the block. It was the perfect storm for becoming the most miserable and depressed that I have ever been.

Alex L.

I have suffered with migraines for over 20 years.

Frustrated, with little to no relief from medications and other therapies, I started to research the benefits of chiropractic care for headaches. I had tried a few chiropractors in the past but was looking for someone that actually specializes in treating migraines. When I came upon the Pittsburgh Migraine Challenge, it was clear to me that this program was different from others.

When I met with Dr. Cotey for a consultation, I felt like — for the first time in years — someone was actually listening to me. He was thorough, transparent, and incredibly compassionate when relaying the details of my evaluation. Based on that visit, I felt comfortable and confident in giving the Migraine Challenge a try.

Adam B.

Years of migraines had taken a toll on me physically and mentally.

​I had started to lose hope that this was something I could control – I was basically surrendering to my migraines. I was on google at 2am and typed in “migraine help”, which directed me to the Pittsburgh Migraine Challenge. I decided to give it a try and am so glad that I did!​

Dr. Cotey listened and provided a plan to improve my headaches and overall spinal alignment. The results from treatment with Dr. Amanda and Dr. Marcus have been amazing and life changing. I finally have the freedom from weeks of endless headaches. The correction in my neck has been amazing – I went from 22 degrees to 3 degrees in just over 90 days! My spine is more flexible and, as a result, I am now more in tune with my body.

f you had told me that this is where I would be just three months later, I would not have believed it was possible. This team and practice are truly gifted at what they do.

​Thank you for everything you do!
Thank you for giving me a big piece of my life back!

Hugh H.

I love the outdoors and have always been active in playing sports. When my wife and I moved to Pennsylvania, I joined a church softball league. As our son grew up, I began to coach for his baseball team. I also became a coach for the Eagle Country baseball league. Part of being a coach in this league meant that you had to be able to actually play on the team, as well. This was very rewarding to me because I was fit enough to compete with players half my age! But, on July 13th, 2013, this sport that I loved so much almost killed me.

​I was coaching one of our games, but we were short a player – so I needed to play. I was playing left field and ran to catch a fly ball. As I caught this ball, my momentum carried me into the fence. My entire life changed that day as the left side of my head struck that fence at full speed. I was transported by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh with severe head and neck injuries. They diagnosed me with a concussion, spinal cord contusions, and a cochlear concussion which resulted in a 25% hearing loss in my left ear. I was fortunate not to have any bleeding in my brain. I could still walk, talk, and recognize the people around me, but this one incident has created so many challenges in my life.

Raeline D.

“It’s just crazy! I feel that it should be mandatory that everyone get adjusted by a Specific Corrective Care Chiropractor.”

Raeline was referred in by a good friend of hers who also experienced a life changing transformation here at Family Chiropractic! Raeline has suffered from Migraine Headaches for over fifteen years of her life. Like most chronic migraine sufferers, she knows when the next debilitating headache is about to set in – she experiences foggy vision, light sensitivity and discomfort in the sub-occipital region of her neck.

Raeline’s energy and optimistic look at life is contagious, which is why it’s heartbreaking to know that her migraines began to affect her ability to take care of her three beautiful children. Her husband, Derek, had no choice but to step up like any good husband would do and take care of the kiddos and the household every time Raeline would suffer a flareup. Raeline even made the comment, “There were days where I would have to lay in bed all day and I wouldn’t get anything done. My migraines would get so bad that I literally had to call Derek while he was at work and ask if there were any way he could come home and help with the kids.”

Mary Beth M.

Meet MaryBeth Miller; a phenomenal photographer with energy that will slap a smile right onto your face! Our team here at Family Chiropractic simply loves her!!!

​MaryBeth came to get checked here based off a recommendation from someone she knew, who just so happened to be Drs. Cotey and Amanda’s midwife, Jen Nelson!

​“For a while seeing a chiro weekly has helped some, but lately the usual adjustments are not helping. Sometimes it makes things worse. I’ve heard great things about the Gonstead Technique and would love to see if it helps me.”Having three kids (ages 18, 16 and 12), running her own business and living an hour away from the office didn’t exactly make her journey “easy”. With the accountability and support of her hubby Matt, MaryBeth jumped all in, fully committed and did whatever was asked of her!

Kelly L

Kelly and her husband, Andy, have five wonderful children and are the owners of The Family Freezer – an incredible business that allows families to not only eat healthy, but save time and money as well. She just may be your very next recipe-creating, list-making best friend!

​Kelly made the journey into Family Chiropractic due to migraine headaches, which she had been dealing with for over four years. Eventually, these headaches began to occur more frequently and developed into more serious occurring migraines. When she began to experience them on a weekly basis, she said enough was enough and decided to take action!​

Afterall, as a business owner and mother of five, who has time for annoying headaches to slow them down?!?!