Chiropractic for Headaches & Migraines
If you suffer from migraines or other headaches, you're not alone. In fact, headaches are one of the most common reasons people seek chiropractic care. There are many different types of headaches, and each one has its own unique set of symptoms.
No matter what type of headache you have, chiropractic care can be an effective treatment option. Chiropractic adjustments can help to relieve tension in the muscles and joints of the head and neck, which can in turn help to decrease or eliminate pain.
Headaches and Migraines
If you suffer from migraines, you're not alone. Approximately half of Americans will have at least one headache each year. And 4% of people worldwide spend 15 or more days each month in the grip of headache pain.
Migraines are a type of headache that can occur over several days. These headaches often occur with throbbing, stabbing pain on one side of the head. Many people with migraines also have pain behind the eye on the same side as the rest of their head pain. Some other migraine symptoms include:
Amplified sensitivity to sound or light
Numbness
Dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Nearly 25% of people in the United States experience migraines. And of those sufferers, many also experience aura - visual disturbances that can include blind spots or seeing stars, zigzag lines, or flashing lights.
Since migraines can last anywhere from four to 72 hours, they account for a significant amount of lost wages and healthcare costs each year - an estimated $36 Billion. That's a huge financial burden for the one in four American households that are affected by migraines.
Common Causes of Headaches and Migraines
There are many different types of headaches, and each has its own set of causes. Environmental factors, such as changes in atmospheric pressure or inhaling pollutants, can trigger headaches in some people. High blood pressure, infections, and other health conditions can also cause headaches. Depression, anxiety, and stress are common triggers for migraines and other types of headache pain. Fasting, loud music, and bright lights can also lead to migraines in some individuals.
Although these are causes that many of our patients know about when they first visit us here at Health From Within, they are not the main causes of headaches we see. The most common causes of headaches we treat come from injuries, spinal dysfunction, and/or muscle tension. Thankfully, these can be addressed directly through our chiropractic treatment and lifestyle interventions.
Whiplash, tension headaches, stress headaches, and sinus headaches are all commonly treated by our chiropractors.
Whiplash Headaches
Whiplash headaches are often overlooked as a cause of migraine or headache pain. Whiplash headaches usually cause pain at the skull base that gets worse when the neck is moved. A whiplash headache can be excruciatingly painful since both the head and neck are involved. The violent forward and backward movement that occurs during car accidents is responsible for this type of headache.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are caused by heightened muscular tension in the back of the head and the neck. Patients with tension headaches complain of a tightening sensation, like giant rubber bands squeezing around their heads. Tension headaches are often accompanied by underlying muscular imbalances and spinal misalignments. These underlying issues cause tension headaches and intensify the pain they cause. Therefore, it is important to address these underlying issues in order to get rid of tension headaches.
Stress Headaches
Headaches are a very common type of pain that can be caused by stress. In fact, stress is believed to trigger migraines in 70% of people who suffer from them. The stress of having a migraine can also exacerbate stress, creating a vicious cycle that leads to more frequent and intense migraines. Additionally, long-term stress can weaken the immune system, making the body less able to fight off infection and disease. Therefore, it is important to find ways to reduce stress in your life in order to maintain good health.
Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are often caused by allergies or infections that block the sinuses and prevent them from draining properly. This can cause a build-up of pressure within the sinuses, which leads to pain behind the cheeks, forehead, and eyes.
How Chiropractic Works to Alleviate Headaches and Migraines
Here at Health From Within, we offer chiropractic for migraines and headaches that can relieve your pain. Even better, our chiropractic for headaches and migraines can relieve pain without the need for drugs or addictive medications, and the treatments are gentle and non-invasive. We tailor our treatment programs to each individual patient, taking into account their preferences and daily lives. We also emphasize the importance of lifestyle interventions such as exercise in order to maintain the effectiveness of our treatments.
How Our Chiropractor Can Help
Headache and migraine chiropractic treatment has several benefits. Some of them are:
Diminished discomfort
Stress relief
Reduced inflammation
Optimized physical performance
When we first see you in our office, we’ll perform a detailed consultation and physical assessment. If we notice any issues that require testing not offered here, we’ll refer you to a diagnostic professional for any necessary testing or imaging. Our goal is to help our patients achieve optimal health and are happy to partner with other medical professionals in our community when needed.
Chiropractic Adjustment
Chiropractic adjustments can help to improve your overall health by ensuring that your spine is properly aligned. This, in turn, allows your nervous system to function more effectively. In addition to providing general health benefits, chiropractic adjustments can also help to relieve pain and improve mobility.
Spinal misalignment, also called spinal subluxation, can also cause headaches. This is because when the spine is out of alignment, it can put pressure on the nerves. This can interfere with how the brain processes pain signals, leading to more pain. Correcting spinal subluxation with chiropractic care can help to relieve headaches by taking pressure off of the nerves and restoring communication between the brain and the body. In addition to relieving headaches, correcting spinal subluxation can also improve circulation, breathing, and digestion.
At Health From Within, our migraine treatment focuses on the top three vertebrae in the spinal column. These are closest to the skull and are common culprits for migraine pain when they are out of alignment. Since we have a holistic approach, we work to uncover other causes of migraines by prescribing an elimination diet and assessing other areas to help them achieve the best health possible.
Massage Therapy
There are many benefits to massage therapy, especially for those suffering from headaches. Massage therapy can help to improve circulation and provide relief for tired, achy muscles. For those with sinus headaches, massage therapy can be an effective way to drain the sinuses and reduce pressure. When combined with other chiropractic treatments, massage therapy can be an extremely effective way to treat sinus headaches.
Cervical Spinal Decompression
Disc injuries in the neck or cervical spine can cause inflammation that extends to the head. In this case, the pain is caused by nerve irritation. Our headache and migraine chiropractor uses cervical spinal decompression to alleviate this pain.
Cervical spinal decompression is a treatment our chiropractor uses to relieve pain caused by nerve irritation. The procedure involves gently stretching the neck using a specialized machine. Patients remain on their backs with two cushions around their necks for stability during the procedure. Cervical spinal decompression can provide significant relief for those suffering from neck pain and other disc-related issues.
Restorative and Preventative Exercise
At Health From Within we’re not only dedicated to restoration but also to prevention so we often prescribe custom therapeutic exercises to help our patients with pain relief and prevent recurrences. Today our society is fixated with smartphones, computers, and other screens, we see a lot of patients with forward head posture.
Our heads are designed to directly line up with the shoulders, however our necks become stiff and strained when we spend large amounts of time looking down at screens. This muscular strain on our necks can cause or intensify headaches.
Our chiropractor analyzes each patient's postural and movement patterns. We then create a customized exercise program that includes corrective and preventive exercises. Our goal is to help our patients feel great and enjoy optimal health.
Gentle, Trusted Relief For Headache Pain
Headaches and migraines can be debilitating pain. Even when headaches seem dull and minor, they can be signs of serious underlying issues. Call Health From Within today so we can help you get the pain out of your way so you can move on to a healthier future.