Headaches are a common health complaint, with over 9 out of 10 people experiencing them at some point in their lives. There are many possible causes of headache, including tension, sinus issues, eyestrain, and even certain foods. While over-the-counter pain medications can provide temporary relief, they do not address the root cause of the headache.
A chiropractor is trained to identify and treat the underlying cause of headaches using various safe and effective techniques. By focusing on the whole body, a chiropractor can help provide long-term relief and prevent future headaches from occurring. Chiropractic care can help you feel better and live a more healthy life. In addition, chiropractic care can help keep you from taking drugs or pain medications that may have unpleasant side effects.
How We Treat Headaches
Headaches can be debilitating. Medical treatment often involves powerful pain medications and invasive surgeries that have side effects and can be habit-forming. Chiropractic care offers an alternative to these harmful treatments. Here are some ways to treat headaches.
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
A chiropractor will begin by conducting a comprehensive consultation and exam of your lower back, neck, and head. By performing physical tests and asking questions about the severity, frequency, location, and duration of the headache, a chiropractor can determine if chiropractic care is right for you.
Some causes of headaches are treated with traditional non-emergency medical or preventive care. These causes include sinus congestion, eyestrain, tension, and other causes of headaches that are helped with chiropractic care. Many people find relief from their headache after only one treatment or by taking chiropractic care as part of a healthy lifestyle. However, always consult your chiropractor to determine the best course.
Digital X-rays
Your chiropractor may recommend digital x-rays to rule out more serious causes of headaches, such as structural issues within the head. Your chiropractor will have the films read at a nearby medical facility or read by another doctor trained in reading x-rays. X-rays may allow your chiropractor to identify spinal misalignments, bone spurs, and other causes of headaches that require more intensive treatment.
Your chiropractor will use visual diagnostic tests and x-rays to determine what kind of treatment you need. Also, by addressing the cause of your headache rather than just the pain, chiropractic care can provide more effective long-term results than traditional medical care.
Specific Chiropractic Care
After your chiropractor has done a comprehensive examination to determine the cause of your headaches, they can develop a specific plan to treat the cause of your headaches. This will be specifically tailored to you and will target areas that may be contributing to the pain. This type of care can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches, restore alignment and improve overall health.
Massage
Massage therapy is one of the most effective non-invasive treatments and can help relieve tension and soreness throughout your entire body. It decreases headaches’ severity by reducing muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, back, and face. Massage therapy also helps improve circulation and muscle tone in areas usually involved with headaches.
Massage therapy also relieves pain and improves flexibility, range of motion, and range motion in the spine. Massage therapy also helps to promote relaxation during stressful situations by helping you relax your muscles back into their normal alignment.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Chiropractors may use various special forms of exercise to help you improve your condition and reduce pain. This exercise is customized to your condition and can help strengthen your neck and back muscles, relieving tension throughout the entire body.
By improving the function of these muscles, you will be able to continue feeling better long after the massage has ended. In addition, you will be able to improve your range of motion, relieve soreness and increase flexibility.
Spinal Decompression
Chiropractors will often recommend spinal decompression to help relieve pressure on the nervous system by restoring proper alignment of the vertebrae. This therapy can be used for acute and chronic conditions, helping you feel better faster and preventing headaches from returning.
This type of treatment is non-invasive and not considered a surgical procedure. It involves simple equipment that a chiropractor will use to adjust your bones without incisions or invasive procedures. In some cases, patients can go home immediately following their session and do not have to take time off from work like they would with traditional surgical procedures.
In addition, patients can quickly see results in as little as one session. Patients will notice less pain and discomfort in as little as two weeks. This allows them to return to work, school, or other daily activities with much better overall health.
Deep Tissue Laser
In addition to massage and exercise therapy, chiropractors use deep-tissue laser therapy to treat muscle spasms, pain and stiffness throughout the entire body. This type of treatment combines the benefits of exercise therapy with the benefits of massage. Laser therapy helps to reduce pain and tension throughout the entire body and can help relieve you from headaches over time.
In addition, this treatment will provide better long-term results than traditional medical care by restoring proper spine alignment and strengthening and stretching muscles to relieve pain.
Although some people consider chiropractic care an alternative, it still offers a variety of effective treatments for headaches and other ailments that are not available in traditional medical care.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an alternative medicine that uses tiny needles to stimulate the body’s natural energy flow to relieve pain and discomfort in various areas within the body.
Many chiropractors use acupuncture as part of their treatment plan for headaches, back pain, neck pain, and other conditions. Acupuncture can reduce pain by stimulating certain points in the body that can help treat your condition. However, for some conditions, acupuncture may not be able to treat all symptoms fully.
Nutrition and Supplementation
Your chiropractor will often recommend some dietary changes that can help support your overall health. For example, these chiropractors will often recommend a diet high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory foods to help reduce stress and lessen the effects of headaches throughout the entire body.
These include red beans, cucumber, garlic, black tea, and dark chocolate. This therapy is also one of the most effective ways to restore proper spinal alignment because it addresses the cause of your headaches rather than just treating symptoms.
Common Types of Headaches
Headaches may be referred to as “mechanical” headaches, “inspiratory” headaches, or a “stress” headaches. The following are the most common types of headaches.
Tension Headache
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. They tend to occur in the neck and scalp. They can be caused by stress, overuse of muscles, and neck strain. Symptoms include a dull headache with stabbing pain on one side of the head, which may accompany nausea. Also called a stress headache, this type typically occurs at the back of the head.
Migraine
Migraine headaches are one of the more common types of headaches. They tend to occur in the head and neck. They are typically associated with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or smell. In addition, there may be auras or symptoms that appear just before a migraine attack. Headaches typically accompany light sensitivity, but the pain can range from mild to excruciating.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are the least common type but are among the most painful. These headaches occur at the front of the face and behind the eye. There is typically an associated nasal discharge when cluster headaches occur in children.
They can last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours at a time and last for six to eight weeks per attack. Typically, a patient will have between one and three attacks daily during a cluster headache period.
Sinus Headache
Sinus headaches are headaches that occur in the nose. They can be accompanied by nasal congestion and sinus pressure. They may include symptoms such as pain, tenderness, and swelling of the face, sinuses, or throat. Sinus headaches typically cause less pain than migraine headaches but can last several days.
Cervicogenic Headache
The neck causes cervicogenic headaches. They are typically accompanied by neck stiffness, pain on one side of the head, and ear pain. Cervicogenic headaches can be caused by something as simple as sleeping with your head turned in an awkward position. This can easily be corrected with a chiropractic adjustment of your upper neck vertebrae—the source of this type of headache.
Concussion Headache
A blow to the head causes a concussion headache. Symptoms include light sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound or noise. The headaches can range from mild to severe, with pain that is felt on one side of the head and forehead. Also, you may notice that your vision is blurry, or you see stars or flashing lights.
Pregnancy Headache
Headaches that happen during pregnancy can range from mild to severe. The pain can occur anywhere in the head and face, but it is typically worse on one side. One or both sides of the head may be affected, which may cause visual changes.
Whiplash Headache
A whiplash headache is caused by a blow to the head from an automobile accident. Symptoms include a dull but intense pain on one side of the head. You may also notice pain or tenderness around your ears and jaw. Also, the pain may radiate up the back of your neck.
FAQs
Is a chiropractor good for headaches?
Chiropractors are excellent at diagnosing and treating headaches. Much of their work involves identifying the underlying cause of the headache.
When should you see a chiropractor for headaches?
You should get a referral from your primary care physician if you suffer from headaches. If your symptoms do not subside with over-the-counter treatments, then a chiropractor is an excellent option to help reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.
Is a massage or chiropractic better for headaches?
Research has shown that patients who receive both massage and chiropractic care have the most positive outcomes. In addition, research has shown that relaxation techniques can significantly reduce pain, even without a spinal adjustment.
Do medical doctors recommend chiropractors for headaches?
In many cases, medical doctors will recommend a chiropractor for their patients. However, speaking with your doctor before starting any treatment regimen is important. They may determine that a visit to a chiropractor is inappropriate for your health condition. Also, they may have additional treatment plans that can help reduce the frequency and intensity of your headaches.
How can I relieve my headaches?
Until you have experienced a chiropractic adjustment, you should avoid strenuous activity and heavy lifting. You should also maintain a healthy diet, take a short relaxation break, and release any tension in the neck and shoulders.
Is chiropractic effective for migraines?
Chiropractic can help relieve the symptoms of migraines. A chiropractor can adjust your spine and balance energy flow through your nervous system. Chiropractic care can increase circulation in the areas of the head that cause migraines, which can reduce inflammation and pain caused by migraines. In addition, chiropractic care can help reduce the likelihood of a migraine attack.
What is a natural way to relieve tension headaches?
Research has shown that a natural way to relieve tension headaches is to use a relaxation technique, like progressive muscle relaxation. The technique involves tensing specific muscles for five seconds and then relaxing them for twenty seconds. The exercise should be performed for ten minutes, which may help relieve headaches faster than other treatments.
Since headaches can have a wide range of causes and symptoms, it is best to see your healthcare provider when you are experiencing headaches. Your healthcare provider may refer you to a specialist like a neurologist or a chiropractor. Or, they may recommend that you visit a chiropractor.
Medical doctors and providers often recommend chiropractors because they have tried-and-true methods of reducing the frequency and intensity of chronic pain disorders such as migraines, whiplash headaches, and tension headaches. Headaches may be relieved with basic over-the-counter pain medication, but these medications often leave the patient with additional side effects.
