Headaches & migraines
Headaches that steal your whole day.
There are many different reasons you may suffer from headaches — and a headache can present itself in many different ways: pain above the eyes, on one side of the head, or all over. In most cases a headache is not a serious problem; however, the pain can easily reach excruciating levels.
Warning signs
6 warning signs of tension headaches
- Bad posture habits
- High stress lifestyle
- Stiffness of the neck
- Lower neck pain or pain between your shoulder blades
- Computer screen increases pain
- Upper neck muscle tension
A stress headache is most commonly referred to as a tension headache — the most common type of headache experienced. It is estimated that up to 75 percent of people who suffer from headaches experience tension headaches. They are typically triggered by extremely stressful situations where your body is tense for an extended period of time and your muscles are constricted: dull and achy feelings on either or both sides of your head, lasting from 30 minutes to several days.
Natural treatment
We can treat your headaches
Traditional treatment methods for headaches are medications and rest. However, you can seek chiropractic care, where you will receive treatments that will cure your headache pain naturally, without having to seek any type of medication.
There are three common causes of headaches: environment, food, and stress. Foods that can frequently trigger headaches include lunchmeats that contain nitrates, a variety of cheeses, and all types of chocolate — these can easily set off the pain that leads to a migraine: dizziness, nausea, and severe pain. Other common causes include lack of sleep, flickering lights, and extreme stress.
The causes of a tension headache are tense muscles; however, subluxations in the neck and upper back can also frequently cause these types of headaches. When you seek chiropractic care, it can help to reduce the pain and eliminate the occurrence of tension headaches altogether.
How it works
How chiropractic care helps
Chiropractic care has been proven a successful treatment method for individuals suffering from migraine and tension headache pain. A headache is typically a symptom that results from a problem occurring elsewhere in your body. When you visit the chiropractor, they will work to relieve and correct the underlying structural problems that may lead to headaches.
Some of the most common reasons headaches occur are a misalignment of the vertebral joints in your spine that make up the cervical spine and then pass through the vital nerves in your body. The treatment plan will typically combine several methods of treatment: nutritional advice, corrective and therapeutic exercises, and a schedule of regular adjustments. Additionally, changing your diet will help to reduce the headaches that occur.
If you are looking to permanently reduce or eliminate headache pain, you may find that regular chiropractic treatments will help with this goal. The cause of a headache can be cured naturally, which will also help to prevent the occurrence of the problem time and time again. A chiropractor will work to correct the underlying issues that cause your headaches, instead of simply treating the symptoms of the problem. This means that you will experience lasting results that can eliminate the debilitating pain that is caused by any type of headache. Remember to tell your chiropractor about all symptoms associated with your headache pain in order to be given the most effective treatment plan.
The stress connection
Stress feeds headaches — and chiropractic helps with stress
Stress is the body's reaction to excessive pressure or demands. It's not an illness itself, but if it becomes too much or lasts too long, it can lead to both mental and physical health problems. At its core, stress falls into three categories:
Physical stress includes poor posture, sitting or standing for long periods, and heavy lifting. Chemical stress can come from a poor diet, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, pollution in our air, water, and food. Emotional stress covers work pressure, family and relationship challenges, and the illness or death of a loved one.
Stress triggers a fight-or-flight response — a systemic physical reaction affecting almost every part of the body. When prolonged, its long-term effects can be disastrous to good health: studies of people subjected to chronic stress have found evidence of high blood pressure, damage to muscle tissue, diabetes, infertility, damage to the immune response, and slowed healing.
Chiropractors work primarily with the spine, the root of the nervous system. One effect of chronic stress is prolonged muscle tension and contraction, which creates uneven pressures on the bony structures of the body — often leading to misalignment of the spinal column, known as subluxations. Chiropractic adjustments release muscle tension and help the body return to a more balanced, relaxed state; they also reduce spinal nerve irritation and improve blood circulation. These changes may be enough, in many cases, to convince the brain to turn off the fight-or-flight response, beginning the process of healing.
A chiropractor cannot make a job less stressful or create a quieter, calmer world. What chiropractic treatment can do is help you develop healthy responses to stress, reducing potential physical damage.
Related conditions
Headaches don't always travel alone
Jaw dysfunction is a surprisingly common headache trigger — and dizziness often comes along for the ride.
- TMJ & jaw pain: overworked chewing muscles can radiate into tension headaches and migraines
- Vertigo: dizziness and spinning episodes, including the Epley maneuver for BPPV
- Neck pain: upper-neck stiffness and subluxations frequently cause headaches
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