Debilitating headaches are painful and disruptive to your normal everyday life. While over-the-counter medications to relieve pain may offer short-lived relief from painful headaches, they are unlikely to give a permanent solution to the cause of your headaches. This could be the reason why so many patients turn to chiropractors.

Chiropractic treatments usually involve manual therapy that may include spinal manipulation. Chiropractic care has been proven to be safe and effective in getting rid of your headaches and treating the root cause of the headache. Other known forms of chiropractic treatment include nutritional, counseling and exercises.

Chiropractic treatment approach can help in treating patients suffering from headaches.

Main causes of headaches

Common triggers of headaches include:

• Changes in sleeping or eating patterns
• Excessive use of alcohol
• Excessive use of medication
• Depression
• Inappropriate lighting system in the room
• Emotional stress due to friends or family issues and work-related conflicts
• Poor posture could cause back, eye or neck strain and trigger headaches
• Excessive noise pollution
• Abrupt changes in weather patterns 

Other causes of headaches include environmental factors linked to family household, such as:  

• Exposure to allergens
• Strong odors caused by household perfumes or chemicals
• Consumption of caffeine, chocolate, fermented foods, cheese and alcohol
• Secondhand smoke

Some headaches are hereditary and run through family linage. Hereditary headaches present themselves as migraines. Children suffering from migraines often have at least one parent who also suffers from migraines.

Headaches present varying symptoms.

Types of headaches

Headaches take various forms. There are estimated to be over 150 types of headaches. These types are, however, categorized into two main types: primary headaches and secondary headaches.

Primary Headaches

This category of headaches have no specific association with underlying medical condition. This category of headaches includes:

• Tension headaches
• Cluster headaches
• Persistent headaches commonly referred to as New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH).
• Migraine

Tension headaches present the most excruciating pain. They are known to vary from mild to moderate pain. The pain is often bilateral – on both sides of patient’s head. They respond temporarily to over-the-counter prescriptions. They worsen during performance of certain routine activities such as when walking upstairs or bending over. 

Migraines are forms of primary headaches. Migraines present various symptoms such as:

• Throbbing or pounding pain
• The pain varies from moderate to severe
• The pain could last from four hours to several days
• They are associated with stomach upsets or abdominal pains
• Patients suffering from migraines are sensitive to light, odors, or noise
• Vomiting or nausea

Cluster Headaches

One type of primary headache that presents severe symptoms is cluster headaches. Cluster headaches occur in a cluster or group, and more frequently during the fall or spring. Cluster headache occurrences vary from one to more than eight times in a day during the cluster period, which can last from two weeks to about three months. Cluster headaches often go into remission for many months or years, and later make a comeback.

Symptoms of cluster headaches include:

• Consistent throbbing pain
• Pain concentrated behind one of the patient’s eyes or within the eye region of the patient without changing sides
• Intense stabbing or burning sensation in the head

New Daily Persistent Headache

NDPH occurs in a patient suddenly and lasting over three months. They normally occur in people who do not have a history of previous headaches. NDPH is consistent and persistent in a patient without easing up. The pain occurs on both sides of the patient’s head. NDPH is often non-responsive to medications.

Sinus headaches

Sinus headaches are caused by a sinus infection, causing congestion and subsequent inflammation of the sinuses (the open passageways located behind the forehead and cheeks). Sinus headaches present the following symptoms:  

• Fever
• Facial swelling
• Bad taste in the mouth
• Mucus discharge from the nose (snot)
• Feeling of swelling in the ears
• Sudden head straining or movement worsens the pain
• Deep and constant pain in the forehead and cheekbones

Medication Overuse Headaches

Overuse of medication causes Medication Overuse Headaches (MOH) also known as rebound headaches. MOH affect approximately up to 5 percent of the population. MOH occur in people that resort to using pain relievers to treat headaches. Taking pain relievers frequently without a doctor’s prescription can potentially increase the patient’s number of headaches. Among the leading signs of Medication Overuse Headaches include:

• Headaches in the morning
• Frequent headaches

Secondary Headaches

This category of headaches can be traced to often un-diagnosed underlying medical condition. This underlying medical condition triggers the headache in a patient. Secondary headaches include the following:

• Head injury
• Infection
• Sinus congestion
• Tumor
• Diseased blood vessels within the brain
• Hypertension – high blood pressure
• Medical drug overuse
• Trauma
• Insomnia

How chiropractic can help to provide immediate medical care.

About 95 percent of all headaches are primary headaches. Primary headaches such as cluster headaches, tension and migraine are not caused by diseases, but instead are caused by the headache itself. Many of the primary headaches are caused by muscle tension within the region around the neck.

You can get immediate chiropractic medical care if you are suffering from symptoms related to headaches. Chiropractic care can help in providing relief for various types of headaches. Chiropractic care can provide relief from headaches without using medication and has proven to be an effective treatment approach in treating a variety of headaches.

Chiropractic treatment approaches include:

• Chiropractic adjustments method
• Manual therapy
• Lifestyle modifications and education
• Soft tissue therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Referral and co-management
• Modalities that may involve electrical stimulation, ultrasound and acupuncture

Chiropractic Adjustments Treatment Approach   

Chiropractic techniques can be used to alleviate headache pains. American Chiropractic Association suggests that effective headache pain treatment option is the use of spinal manipulation. Chiropractic adjustment technique can be used to alleviate acute and chronic pain in the upper back, in the neck and scalp, which reduces frequency of headaches one is likely to experience.

Chiropractic adjustment uses x-ray films to identify various vertebrae that are dislocated or having subluxation and may be causing pressure to the nerves.

Meet one of our chiropractors to help you reduce stress that could lead to headache pains. If you happen to be experiencing persistent headaches, Our chiropractors specialize in relieving you from headaches caused by stress at workplace or at home. Our chiropractors will also give you important tips on exercises, relaxation techniques and posture that can help you relieve your headaches.

Modifications in lifestyle that can help in preventing headaches

Our team of chiropractors uses a multifaceted approach in treating headaches. These include understanding what triggers your headaches. We’ll work with you to understand your specific situation and help you find what could be causing your headaches and give you the most appropriate way forward to deal with your situation.

When we determine the causes of your headaches, our chiropractors will work with you to ward off the triggers.

Working for a prolonged duration at one position could irritate your joints and cause muscle tension in the area around your upper back. This could eventually precipitate headaches.

Our chiropractic doctors could advise you about the appropriate posture, exercises, ergonomics (work related postures) and relaxation techniques.

This could help you to get relief from possible recurring joint irritations and tension in the muscles of your neck and upper back.

Our team recommends that you should take breaks every 30 to 60 minutes. Moving around and changing positions may help you ward off pains during the break. You can also engage in low-impact exercises that may help to relieve your pain.

Overall, chiropractic adjustments paired with lifestyle changes can make a big difference in helping to relieve your headache pains. Engage in activities such as low-impact aerobics and walking. Avoid teeth clenching, which could result in stress on the temporomandibular joints and lead to irritation and consequent tension headaches.  

Our chiropractic care givers recommend that you drink 8 ounces of drinking water several times a day to help you avoid dehydration. It is also advisable to get sufficient sleep to keep frequent headaches at bay.

Our chiropractic doctors could provide you with nutritional advice, recommend changes in your diet and possible addition of vitamin B complex.

Our chiropractic care givers possess extensive training on how to help patients beyond treatment for their low-back pain. The care givers understand how tension within the spine precipitate problems in other parts of the body, and are willing to take appropriate steps in relieving those problems.

Our team of chiropractors is sufficiently trained to examine you for possible other serious underlying health issues that may be associated with your headaches before recommending a chiropractic care plan.

Take headaches seriously. Anytime you experience a recurring headache, do not rely on taking pain relievers as the best option.

Seek prompt attention from a chiropractic doctor if you experience a sudden severe headache, following a head injury, or your headache is accompanied by stiff neck, fever, numbness, weakness or difficulty speaking.

Your chiropractic doctor is there to help you keep the headaches away and revert back to your normal healthier life. Reach out to us and request for an appointment. We are here to help you out.

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