Headaches
Throbbing pain. A dull ache. Sudden pain or “brain freeze” after eating ice cream. Pain on the top of the head. As one of the most common pain conditions around the globe, headaches can range from mildly uncomfortable to downright debilitating. This type of pain often causes absenteeism from school or work. People who experience frequent headaches may also find that their mental health is affected in the form of depression or anxiety.
What Causes Them?
People with headaches typically tend to have stress in and around the neck. They also have tension and tight muscles in the upper shoulder area and into the base of the neck. When these symptoms are present, especially for a period of time, and are compounded by the stresses of life, this leads to head pain.
The Main Types
Did you know there are more than 150 types of headaches? These fall into two main categories: primary and secondary ones.
Primary
These aren’t due to another medical condition. Here are some types:
- Cluster
- Migraine
- New daily persistent headaches (NDPH)
- Tension
Secondary
This type is related to another condition, including
- Head injury
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Infection
- Medication overuse
- Sinus congestion
- Trauma
- Tumor
How Chiropractic May Help
Chiropractic care may be an effective care option for tension headaches and ones that start in the neck. An adjustment helps reduce the physical stress in the muscles and joints of the upper back, shoulders and neck. Adjusting the joints, which are compressed the most, allows them to move more loosely and properly. The result is reduced tension in the muscles in that area. Over a period of time, chiropractic adjustments alleviate the causes of head discomfort.
To determine which areas to treat, we take a set of films to determine the most affected area(s). Determining the joints which are out of position or compressed allows us to be very specific with our treatments and get to the right place more quickly and effectively than if we didn’t take X-rays.
Book an Appointment
We’ve had great success treating patients with headaches, and want to help you too!
Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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