At one time or another, we’ve all experienced stabbing or throbbing pains in our heads.
Because the head controls the rest of the body’s functions, nothing else can get your attention enough so completely or immediately.
If there were only one cause, treating headaches in Atlanta would be easy.
Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches
However, headaches come in many different forms, and the causes can be just as complex.
There are no simple answers.
Headaches can be triggered by:
- Emotional or physical stress
- Toxic fumes
- Certain foods
- Alcohol
- Preservatives
- Bright light
- Hormonal changes
- Trauma
- Allergies
- Too much or too little sleep
- Changes in blood pressure
Another frequently missed cause of headaches is misaligned spinal bones in the upper back and neck.
When spinal bones lose their normal motion and position, blood vessels and delicate nerves in the head can be affected.
One thing is sure – a recurring headache is a sign that something is wrong.
While over-the-counter pain relievers may temporarily alleviate discomfort, they also mask the symptoms. While the problem remains, the headaches will continue to return.
What Type Of Headache Do I Have?
There are specific labels for the variety of headaches, but when your head is throbbing, it’s difficult to care.
Tension headaches are by far the most common type in the United States and may affect as much as 95% of the population at one time or another.
Tension Headaches
Tension headache sufferers report steady, dull pain on one or both sides of the head and often a feeling of vice-grip tightness.
Usually, these headaches begin with mental or physical stress that causes contractions of muscles in the head, back, and neck.
These prolonged contractions deplete oxygen from the muscles, causing them to release chemicals that transmit “referred” pain signals to the brain. So many seemingly innocent things can trigger a tension headache, it is often difficult to pinpoint a cause.
Vascular Headaches
This category of intensely stabbing, throbbing headaches occur when blood vessels circulating throughout the head rapidly dilate.
It includes cluster headaches and migraines.
Migraine sufferers are often completely incapacitated, feeling nauseous and unable to bear light or noise, from the few hours to few days a migraine lasts.
Vertebrogenic Headaches
These headaches are caused by problems in the cervical (neck) spine and are felt on the front, sides and back of the head, face, and neck.
Poor posture, degenerative arthritis, or changes in the ordinary curvature of the neck can cause chronic sensitivity and irritation to vertebral nerve roots.
When Should You Seek Help For Your Headache?
Frequent headaches can make life miserable.
Everything else becomes secondary to the pain and discomfort.
It is important to remember that pain is how the body lets us know that something is wrong.
It is unwise to ignore the signals and treat just the symptoms.
Seek professional help to determine and eliminate the cause of your headaches from your Chiropractor.
Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches, Migraine, Cluster and Tension Headache
A Doctor of Chiropractic is highly experienced in finding the reasons behind headaches as well as alleviating the immediate pain.
He or she can help detect whether a structural or physical problem may be involved and, if so, correct it.
Usually, a series of spinal manipulations to return misaligned spinal bones to a more appropriate position relieves pressure on aggravated nerve roots.
A Chiropractor can also help in identifying headache triggers, and suggest relaxation exercises, therapy and lifestyle modifications to help prevent future headaches.
Chiropractic treatment for headaches can provide relief.
A Safer Approach
Medical management of headaches usually involves medications that aren’t without risks. Side effects and even chemical dependencies are common.
Chiropractic care offers a safe, natural alternative to prescription medication.
Follow the doctor’s recommendations for diet and fitness.
Keep a diary of activities, foods eaten, and inhalants over a period of weeks for use in identifying headache triggers.
Regularly use the relaxation techniques suggested by the chiropractor, and be patient if seeking help for a longstanding problem.