(As seen in the February 2021 edition of The Valley Business Journal)
For 25 years now I’ve been working closely with patients who suffer from chronic Migraine Headaches. It is important to note that a Migraine Headache is nothing like a typical headache. In fact, most Migraine patients would prefer they not be compared. Those who suffer from chronic Migraine can go from feeling great to a 10 on a pain scale in a matter of minutes.
I’ve seen firsthand the ripple effect that Migraines can have on a workplace, family, and every aspect of a patient’s life.
Even if you do not have Migraines, the likelihood of it still impacting your workplace is large.
- Migraines affect 1 in 4 people in the US.
- 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during a Migraine.
- There are 157 million workdays lost annually due to Migraine Headaches.
- When at work with a Migraine, effectiveness is shown to be reduced to 41%.
- Lost productivity costs are estimated at $36 Billion in the US annually.
Let me share portions of 3 stories from my patients to give you a better understanding (See their full stories on our success story page):
“I was diagnosed with Migraines at about 13 or 14 years old. Day 2 of being an employee of Dr. Tina’s I had a horrid Migraine. I cried and cried because I was so afraid that I was going to lose this job! I came into work, sunglasses on, and quickly she realized that I was miserable. She told me that she could help. Not going to lie, a little part of me laughed. Everyone said that they could help me. No one was able to. About 6 months into care, I was at about 80% Migraine free. After about a year, I was 95% Migraine free. I felt free, I felt like I had my life back. I was able to do all the things I wanted to do and all of the things I used to do that I couldn’t anymore because I was under the control of Migraines. But not anymore.” Angela
“Everything is impacted…I know that I am way less productive and my ability to make mistakes when I have a Migraine is definitely higher. The ability to look at a computer and talk on a phone all day is miserable not only for the clients, but for the employees as well. I feel like the days that I have pushed myself to go to work with a Migraine has actually made the Migraine worse. It also impacts the team that you work with. When you’re trying to push yourself to do things that you shouldn’t while you have a Migraine, there are so many domino effects that happen with coworkers. They have to correct your mistakes or pick up the slack.” Nichole Lucas
“In my line of work I need to be confident with my ability to communicate verbally. Clients, contractors, city officials- any number of consultants might call. I may have to present a project to a group. Clearly, I must be confident in my ability to put words together in a meaningful and enthusiastic manner. Over twenty years ago this ability was seriously jeopardized. My confidence was badly shaken and I could not count on my readiness to respond spontaneously at any time or any place.
When it came down to preparing myself for public speaking, I experienced a brand new sensation: FEAR! My vision would be interrupted by “auras” and I would lose my ability to utter intelligible sentences. These visual episodes would last from half an hour to over an hour. Only occasionally would I have the full-blown headache and nausea that comes with the typical migraine. But my ability to speak was seriously impaired for sometimes as long as two hours or more.
I no longer feel insecure when scheduling meetings with city officials, appearing in front of groups, or presenting to clients. In the nearly four years that I have been seeing “Dr. Tina” I am almost completely symptom free! And… NO FEAR!! “ Walt
If you have Chronic Migraine please do not stop looking for solutions. Even if you think you have tried it all. There is hope! So many people, myself included, found solutions with Upper Cervical Chiropractic care. If you run a business with employees who suffer from Migraines I urge you to share this with them and reach out to me. I would be happy to schedule a free consultation to discuss options.