Migraine headache rules and at least partially ruins the lives of up to 20 million Americans.

And no wonder. Usually commencing near one or both temples, the throbbing migraine pain may spread throughout the entire head, even engulfmg the face and neck. When the pain becomes severe, the migraine victim may abhor light and prefer to suffer in the solitude of a darkened room. Speech may be slowed, words hard to fmd, thinking retarded, concentration and memory impaired. Sometimes the person sees spots before the eyes and loses some of  the visual field, all  the while suffering the excruciating pain.

The attacks may be sporadic, but usually fall into a fairly consistent frequency pattern varying from as few as one or two attacks per month in one person, to as many as three or four per week in another.

LIVING IN DOUBT AND FEAR
An attack may last only a few hours, but sometimes it goes on with no let up for several days. Sometimes the attacks are severe, at other times surprisingly mild. Nor do the same symptoms always show up in each attack. Thus, the migraine victim is always off balance, never knowing when the next attack will come, how severe it will be, or how long it will last.

Though some warning signs often precede the main attack,  the victim can never feel safe. It might come on a first date or an important sales call.

OFTEN RUNS IN FAMILIES
The disorder may occur at any age, but the onset occurs most often between the ages of ten and forty, and somewhat more often in women than in men. Women of child-bearing age are particularly prone to the affliction, which also tends to run in families.

MIGRAINE DEFINED
Due to the great variety of migraine's symptoms and features, a precise definition is difficult. However, some migraine experts have defined migraine this way:

"A familial disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of headache widely variable in intensity, frequency, and duration. Attacks are commonly unilateral (on one side) and are usually associated with neurological and mood disturbances..."

THE CAUSE
Migraine researchers agree that a major cause of this desperate condition in all categories involves a disturbance of blood circulation in the vessels of the head and neck. Spinal nerves, especially in the neck, may often be involved, too.

CHIROPRACTIC - MIGRAINE
Migraine is routinely treated by chiropractic doctors. This complex disorder calls for a thorough chiropractic examination to determine involvement of spinal nerves and other factors. The treatment plan, of course, depends entirely on the chiropractor's findings.


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