About 50% of adult population experience headaches at least once a year (WHO). Not only is headache painful, but it is also imposing a recognizable burden on sufferers including impaired quality of life, decreased productivity, reduced tendency to engage in family and social life. It’s important to identify the type of headache you are experiencing in order to determine the appropriate treatment. If you are experiencing frequent or severe headaches, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional. Doctor of Chiropractic are highly experienced to find the cause of your headaches and provide relief in most cases.
Common Types of Headaches:
- Tension Headache – The most common type of headache and are typically caused by muscle tension in the neck and shoulders.
- Migraines – A type of headache that can cause severe pain and often result in other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
- Cluster Headache – These are rare but very intense headaches that occur in clusters over a period of weeks or months.
What May Cause Headaches?
- Tension in neck and shoulder muscles due to poor posture, stress, muscle imbalances
- A lot muscles in the neck and upper back area inserts to the occipital (base of the skull) area and continuous tension in the neck area can produce headache
- There are nerves pierced through the suboccipital muscles (rectus capitis posterior major, rectus capitis posterior minor, obliquus capitis superior, and obliquus capitis inferior) and that can produce radiating headaches
- Teeth grinding or jaw clenching habits (TMJ problems) – muscles such as masseter, temporal, lateral or external pterygoid, medial or internal pterygoid, geniohyoideus, mylohyoideus, digastric
- TMJ-generated headaches are usually in the temporal area
- Trauma, such as concussions, mild traumatic brain injury
- Food sensitivity and dehydration: Certain foods and drinks, such as caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods, can trigger headaches in some individuals
What To Do When You Have Headaches?
It’s important to identify the type of headache you are experiencing in order to determine the appropriate treatment. If you are experiencing frequent or severe headaches, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional. Chiropractic care can be an effective treatment for headaches caused by muscle tension, spinal misalignments, dehydration, and other factors. Our Doctors of Chiropractic are highly experienced to determine the underlying cause and develop an appropriate treatment plan for you. Sports chiropractor can use a variety of techniques, including spinal adjustments, myofascial release (ART), rehab and strengthening exercises, and nutrition advice, to relieve headaches in athletes and improve your overall performance.
In most cases, patients can experience immediate relief of their pain. A series of spinal manipulation can reduce the frequency of headache episodes. Relaxation exercises and lifestyle changes may be suggested to avoid future headaches. Medical management of headaches usually involves some type of medication that can result in unwanted side effects or dependencies. Chiropractic offers a natural and safe approach to relieving and preventing future headaches.