Why Migraines Are One of My Favourite Things to Treat
Updated: Sep 24
Most practitioners don't light up when a new client says the word "migraines." I do.
That might sound like an odd thing to say about a condition that flattens people for days at a time. But migraines are one of my favourite symptoms to treat, and there are three reasons why.
Reason 1: You know whether it's working
With a lot of chronic pain, progress is fuzzy: "I think it's a bit better?" Migraines are different. People who get them can usually tell you exactly how often they come and how long they last. That means that within a few weeks of treatment, we both know whether something has changed. I like that kind of clarity, and so do my clients.
Reason 2: There is usually something to find
My approach is to look for perceived faulty sensory signals and related dysfunctional muscles around the neck (The eyes and jaw also heavily influence these muscles). When the nervous system receives signals it reads as a threat, it responds with protective patterns. Some muscles get inhibited and others overwork to compensate. Around the neck, these faulty signals can set off a cascade of dysfunction that feeds into the migraine pain pathway.
In SMR terms, this is a software problem rather than a hardware problem. The tissue isn't broken. The nervous system is running a protective program it no longer needs.
Old neck injuries can hang around for a surprisingly long time. Julie wasn't a migraine client, but her story shows how long the nervous system can hold onto one:
Julie: "Four and a half years ago I had a knot of pain in my neck. I saw a chiropractor instead of taking Advil and Tylenol every day until I realized I had been doing that once a month for 4 1/2 years. I mentioned to a friend I was seeking another solution. 3 visits later the knot of pain is gone. Perhaps from 3 neck injuries and concussions 30 years ago! I still am so relieved the pain is gone, and grateful to Colin for figuring this art of neural pathways out!"
Reason 3: The results can be life-changing
When Janet first came to see me, her migraines were lasting three to five days and returning every two weeks. After three SMR sessions, she wrote: "I have been migraine free for more than 7 weeks now."
Janet: "I went to see Colin about my migraines which I was having for 3-5 days, two weeks apart. After 3 SMR sessions with Colin, I have been migraine free for more than 7 weeks now."
Migraines are complex and not everyone responds the same way. But hearing feedback like Janet's is a big part of why I love this work.
The part most people already suspect: stress
Most people with migraines have noticed that stress is a trigger. The research backs this up. A review in The Journal of Headache and Pain describes stress as a risk factor for migraine attacks and highlights stress management as part of preventing migraines from becoming chronic (source).
There is also the "let-down effect," where the migraine arrives after the stressful period ends: the first day of a holiday, or the weekend after a big deadline. This may be related to shifting cortisol levels as the body comes down from high alert.
The part fewer people know: trauma
Trauma, especially in childhood, is linked to a higher rate of migraines in adulthood. Adverse childhood experiences can lead to long-term changes in the body's stress response system, increased pain sensitivity, and a nervous system that stays on guard. A history of abuse or neglect has been associated with longer-lasting and more chronic migraines (source).
PTSD and migraines also frequently show up together. The American Headache Society notes that people with PTSD are more likely to experience migraines, with hyperarousal and central sensitization thought to play a role (source). The relationship appears to run in both directions. A 2024 study in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences followed more than 33,000 women to examine how migraine and PTSD each relate to later developing the other (source).
Women are affected by migraines far more often than men. Hormonal fluctuations are part of that picture, and so is the higher rate of trauma-related conditions among women with migraines.
This fits what I see in the treatment room: a nervous system that doesn't feel safe is more likely to produce pain, and the body can hold protective patterns for decades. Christina came to see me for something quite different from migraines, but her experience shows what that can look like:
Christina: "I've done physiotherapy, RMT, acupuncture, osteopath, and I workout, stretch, and do yin yoga regularly, but no one could help me release the mysterious chest tightness that prevented me from breathing deeply for decades due to a trauma holding pattern. After 3 appointments with Colin, I found so much relief, and I can finally breathe like a normal person without pain."
I've written more about this in my post on the mind-body connection.
What I do, and what I don't
As an RMT, I can't diagnose, and I don't treat trauma directly. If stress or past trauma seems to be part of someone's picture, I point them toward people who can help. I'm a big fan of Internal Family Systems, somatic therapy and Pain Reprocessing Therapy and refer clients to clinical counsellors who incorporate these theories. Sometimes that referral turns out to be the missing piece, as it was for Noralynn:
Noralynn: "I had chronic shoulder pain & left hip pain. After my initial treatments the shoulder pain has not come back, it’s been 2 years. My hip pain did return but due to the nature of his treatments we deduced that it was not a muscle issue but a subconscious grief issue which was fixed after his adjustment and a trip to a psychotherapist at his recommendation. Not only has he fixed my physical issues he helped me find a new place of peace I didn’t know I needed."
What I do is find and resolve the movement pattern dysfunctions that feed into the migraine pain cycle. It's a hands-on, interactive process of testing muscle function, finding what is inhibiting them, and showing the nervous system how to correct itself.
One important note: if your headaches are new, sudden, severe, or have recently changed, please see your doctor first.
What to expect
Three sessions is a typical treatment plan. The goal is to significantly decrease the number and severity of migraines by the end of the third session. And because migraines are so easy to track, we'll both know whether we got there.
Curious whether this fits your situation? Read more client stories, watch some video demos of SMR in action, or book a session here.
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