Headaches are among the top disorders that people experience on a daily basis. In fact, 9 out of 10 people will suffer from some type of headache related pain and women are more prone than are men. The good news is that most headaches are not due to an underlying disease and there is help available for sufferers!
What do you do when you are suffering from headaches? Do you go into a dark room and lay down? Pop a pill, hope it goes away and never comes back? Clench your jaw down and just push through the day? Rub your temples,neck and shoulders? These are not good alternatives longterm and there are better ways to alleviate the pain, discomfort and frustration of your headaches.
“A headache is not a headache!” While it is not the intent of this article to categorize all the many different types and classifications of headaches, there are some common triggers and sensible things you can do to help prevent or alleviate them. An occasional headache may not be abnormal and we’ve all had that hectic or stressful day that finally got to us. If your headaches persist, intensify, or cause organic symptoms, than you need to be evaluated by a physician immediately.
Depending on where your headache discomfort is located, pain type, severity, and other factors, can help determine the cause of the pain or the underlying triggers. So, what are some of the more common headache triggers that I see in my chiropractic office? There are many and to varying degrees but most are commonly due to stress and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and shoulders! We all seem to be on the “fast track” these days, working long hours, dealing with some personal issue, bad diets, lack of exercise, not enough sleep, relationship conflict, unhappy in our job, running the kids to all of their events, the list can go on and on but the point I’m trying to convey is the root cause is the build up of stress! This stress can cause pressure and tension in your head, jaw, neck, upper back and shoulders, producing various forms of discomfort and varying degrees of pain. The long term build up of stress can also lead to high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression which can feed into the headaches as well or even be a major trigger. Ultimately, all this stress leads to muscle spasm, tension, and tightness in the neck, upper back, and shoulders that can trigger headaches.
As mentioned, headaches can have many causes or triggers, most of which is from the negative effects of stress on our bodies. Other triggers may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, etc.), bad habits or behaviors (insomnia, terrible diets, etc.), or blood sugar changes. Only about 5% of all headaches are warning signs or red flags caused by a serious underlying physical problem. The remaining 95% of headaches are primary causing in nature, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by a disease process and the headache itself is the primary concern. This is the bread and butter of where chiropractic treatments can really help! The greatest majority of these primary headaches are associated with muscle tension, spasm, and pressure in the neck. Chiropractors are the leading healthcare experts in relieving neck tension, releasing muscle spasm, and reducing the stress felt in cervical joints and spine.
How can a doctor of chiropractic ultimately help relieve or eliminate your headaches? Chiropractors perform spinal adjustments, apply various adjunctive therapies, and improve postural imbalances all in an effort to relieve tension, muscle spasm, and pressure on the spine and musculoskeletal system as a whole. Chiropractic treatments not only improve spinal function, but helps to reduce and alleviate stress on your nervous system, allowing your body to function more optimally and efficiently! Headache sufferers can also benefit from sound nutritional advice supervised by a chiropractor which may include diet modification (eliminating food allergy triggers, vitamin supplementation, increased water intake, etc.). Chiropractors are educated and trained to be skillful practitioners on proper body mechanics and posture. What does that mean? They can advise and give instruction on normal posture, workplace ergonomics, supportive exercises and stretches, and relaxation techniques to aid in the reduction of headaches as well as the prevention of them. This sound advice, along with chiropractic adjustments should ultimately help relieve the recurring tension and irritation on the spine, muscles, and joints of the neck, shoulders, and upper back which can alleviate headaches and improve overall general health.
Headaches should never be ignored and taking drugs or medication to cover up the symptoms or pain is not a logical long term solution or a smart choice. Chiropractic care is effective, efficient, practical and safe in the treatment and resolution of headaches as well as overall stress reduction.
