Headaches and The Chiropractor
If you have had a headache before, you are like most people. Nine out of ten Americans suffer or have suffered from headaches. While the frequency and severity of the headache vary, its something we would like to be rid of as soon as possible. Is your primary way of dealing with these headaches a pill? Is it pushing through the pain? Is it laying down hoping to fall asleep and wake up pain free? Well there is a better alternative to these methods.
Research shows that spinal manipulation, or an adjustment, is an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A 2014 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain and increased benefit was shown in several instances where a multimodal approach to neck pain had been used1. Also, a 2011 JMPT study found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches2. Other research shows that about 90% of headaches are cervicogenic or due to cervicogenic factors.
Triggers
Have you ever wondered whats causing the onset of these headaches? Headaches have been known to have triggers. Certain stimuli that cause the tension or other physical ramifications to take place. These may include foods, environmental stimuli like noises, lights, or stress. Another possible avenue is behaviors like insomnia, excessive exercise, or blood sugar changes. The majority of headaches are associated and can be attributed to muscle tension in the neck. As the health world has been constant in advertising, Americans engage in more sedentary activities today than in the past. This means we are in fixed positions for longer periods time more often than we used to be. When a joint is fixed for a longer period of time, such as reading in bed, it can lead to the joints being irritated and muscle tension in the neck. Therefore it can also lead to the onset of a headache.
Some Tips To Help Avoid That Next Headache
Reduce the amount of time that you stay in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on your phone, typing or reading. Try to take a break and stretch every 45 minutes to one hour. The important thing is changing positions and engaging other muscles to give the ones holding you in that fixed position some rest. A stretch that involves moving the neck through some ranges of motion would be the best for headache prevention. Some light aerobics such as walking on a treadmill or lightly jogging for a half hour has also been shown to help alleviate tension before the onset of a headache. Avoid holding your shoulders up or clinching your teeth. Drop your tongue from touching the top of you mouth. These are all signs you are tensed up that often sneak up on us. Staying hydrated will also help keep the tension down and has been shown to help with headache prevention.
What can a chiropractor do for you?
Perform spinal manipulation, or adjustments, to improve spinal function and alleviate the tension causing most, if not all of your headaches. Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins. Dr. Burleson may offer advice on posture, ergonomics in the work place, exercises and relaxation techniques. Every patient is different and there are many possibilities to help alleviate someone’s headaches but more importantly to prevent them. Schedule an appointment today and we can put a treatment plan together involving some of our state of the art therapies and help you get to headache free. In the meantime review some of these times and it should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back. Schedule an appointment today and see what Chiropractic can do for you.
