Chiropractic Treatment of Headaches

If you’ve ever suffered from a headache, you are not alone. In fact, according to the American Chiropractic Association, none out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. Some people suffer from frequent headaches, others only have one once in a blue moon. Some headaches are dull and throbbing, others cause pain that brings you to your knees.

Research shows that spinal manipulation and chiropractic adjustments are an effective treatment option for many types of headaches. A report published in 2014 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT)  stated that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain — often associated with headaches. In 2011, the JMPT published a study concluding that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and other types of headaches.

Types of Headaches

While there are more than 150 different types of headaches, there are 4 types of headaches that are most common.

Tension: Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches, especially among teenagers and adults. Often, these types of headaches cause mild to moderate pain. They tend to come and go over time. Symptoms of tension headaches may include:

• Dull, aching pain in the head
• Pressure and tightness across the forehead
• Muscle aches or pains along the side and back of your head
• Neck pain
• Sensitivity to sound
• Tenderness along the head and neck

Cluster: While cluster headaches are the least common time, they are certainly the most severe. Intense pain that feels like a burning or piercing feeling behind the eyes is often associated with this type of headache. Cluster headaches tend to occur in groups over a period of time, lasting anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. Symptoms of cluster headaches may include:

• Restlessness
• Agitation
• Changes in heart rate and blood pressure
• Sensitivity to light, sound, or smell
• Horrible pain typically located on one side of the head
• Pain behind the eye region
• Radiating pain to the forehead, temple, nose, cheek, or gums of the impacted side
• Constant burning, throbbing, or piercing pain during the attack

Sinus: Inflamed sinuses can cause plenty of pain. Pain can occur in your cheeks, forehead, and bridge of your nose. Sinus headaches are usually accompanied by a runny nose, fever, and pressure in the ears and head.

Migraine: Migraine headaches can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These headaches are incredibly painful. Symptoms of migraines include:

• Sensitivity to light, noise, and smells
• Nausea or vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Intense and severe pounding pain on one or both sides of your head
• Blurred vision
• Irritability
• Dizziness or shakiness

Headache Triggers

Headaches are triggered by many different things. Triggers may include foods, noise, lights, stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, exercise, poor posture, etc. According to the American Chiropractic Association, about 5 percent of all headaches are warning signs of a physical problem. The other 95 percent of headaches primary headaches. This means they are either tension, migraine, cluster, or sinus headaches.

Most primary headaches are associated with tension in the neck. This tension may be due to joint irritation, subluxations in the spine, and muscle tension in the neck.

What Can You Do About Your Headaches

There are certain measures that everyone can take to reduce the incidents of headaches.

Do you spend a lot of time in front of a screen? Whether it’s at your computer at the office, on your cell phone, or reading on your iPad, take a break. Holding your head in a fixed position for an extended period of time can lead to headaches. Take a break every 30 minutes and perform stretches that relax your neck and shoulders.

Staying hydrated is also important! Drinking enough water each day is great for your health. Experts recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces each day.

What Can A Doctor of Chiropractic Do

Chiropractors have many scientifically backed approaches to helping headache pain! Doctors of chiropractic have extensive training to help them treat patients far beyond back pain. DCs are experts in how the spine relates to the rest of the body.

Drs. Chris and Krystal Hohn may perform the following if you suffer from primary headaches:

• Perform an evaluation to identify the source of your headaches
• Perform chiropractic adjustments to improve nerve function and alleviate stress on the body
• Offer nutritional advice
• Recommend exercises and relaxation techniques
• Offer advice on posture
• Provide patient education and reassurance
• Utilize soft tissue therapy
• Offer rehabilitation and exercise recommendations

Pure Health Clinic Can Help

Drs. Chris and Krystal Hohn are experts in the chiropractic field. At Pure Health Clinic, they put the patients and their needs first!

Headaches impact millions of people each and every day. Drs. Chris and Krystal want to help make headaches a thing of the past for their patients. By performing a physical evaluation, they can determine if any subluxations exist in the spine. After determining the location of any subluxations, they will perform chiropractic adjustments to correct these subluxations.

The goal of these adjustments is to restore the spine to its proper alignment. Since the spine houses the nervous system, it plays a crucial part in the body’s overall function. When the spine is properly aligned, the nervous system can function as it should. This allows the body to function as it should. A properly aligned spine allows the body to harness its innate ability to heal itself.

This not only will help in the prevention and treatment of headaches, but in other ailments and bodily functions as well. Patients who receive regular chiropractic care report:

• Fewer hospital and doctors visits
• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• Improved posture
• Increased range of motion
• Better athletic performance
• Quickened recovery rates
• Improved moods
• Pain relief

If you or someone you know suffers from headaches, please contact Pure Health Clinic today. Whether it’s headache relief you seek, or a natural way to treat other ailments or improve your quality of life, Pure Health Clinic can help.

Chiropractic is proven to be a safe, natural, and effective way to boost the body’s immune system, improve wellness, and treat pain. Contact Pure Health Clinic today via phone at (810) 588-4036, or by email at info@thepurehealthclinic.com. We look forward to hearing from you!