Cochranites are all too familiar with the effects of chinook winds and the significant jumps in temperature that come with them.

While many people in Western Canada welcome the break from the cold during the winter months, many migraine sufferers are convinced the shift of barometric pressure is

a trigger for their migraine headaches.

Temperatures in Cochrane have jumped by 30 degrees since last week's cold snap, and while weather and its link to migraine headaches continue to be controversial, many

Cochranites will tell you they've been feeling the effects this week.

Dr. Nate Peters is a chiropractor with Soulstice Wellness Centre here in Cochrane, and he says that a chiropractic adjustment might help bring some relief.

"Chiropractic adjustments through the neck can certainly help. We can do that using the hands manually or with other techniques such as the activator. Some people prefer this technique over the manual adjustment. Several other techniques for getting into the muscles and relieving muscle spasms have been known to work and be successful for migraine relief. Adjustments have also been shown to be safe for kids. That was something that was recently reviewed by the chiropractic association. Chiropractic care can certainly help kids too but we would try a trial of care, and then you take it from there once we see positive results from it moving forward."

Peters says that just as migraine triggers are different for each individual, so is the treatment. He says "Chiropractic care has been shown to help with migraines but it's only a specific population. for some people, it works really well, and for others, it doesn't seem to have much of an effect. Nobody has been able to lock down the real reason why it's effective for some and not effective for others."

Migraine symptoms include a throbbing and often nauseating sensation, they can often cause blurred vision, pain on one side of the head or jawline and sensitivity to light,

sounds, smell, and touch. Peters says that once properly diagnosed,  a chiropractic adjustment might help to provide relief to migraine sufferers.