Headaches can really be a big deal. If you or someone you know have frequent headaches then you know that a headache is a day ruiner. When you have a headache, like a real headache. You just want to be left alone. You can’t think, it’s hard to talk, it’s hard to listen, bright lights hurt you and all you want to do is crawl under a blanket and hide from the whole world. Unfortunately the world doesn’t wait on you and very often you still try to make it through the day with pain. Does it sound familiar? First step is to get a diagnosis what kind of headaches you have. There are a lot of different once
- tension headache
- cluster headache
- migraine headache
- hemicrania continua
- ice pick headache
- thunderclap headache
- hormone headache (also known as menstrual migraine)
- caffeine headache
- exertion headache
- hypertension headache
- rebound headache
- post-traumatic headache
- spinal headache
Lets address the once that are most common and treatable by chiropractic here. By far the most common headache is “tension type headache”. This headache describes its self pretty well. Due to tension in the muscles, usually in the neck or upper back it refers a pain into your head. This headache sometimes felt in the temples both side or one, sometimes pain can be behind the eye as well. This condition is very treatable by massage and chiropractic. Please do not wait if you are experiencing these symptoms. Most people wait in the hope that it will go away, but overtime it has a tendency progressing and getting worse. Here is why it gets worse. Usually people that have this headache have poor habits ergonomically. For example sitting wrong at the computer while playing games or working, browsing the phone, sitting on a couch while watching TV, reading while in bed and many more. The more you do activities that cause your headache the more your muscles become tight. If your muscles are tight it predisposes you to sprain/strain mechanism. The more sprain/strains you accumulate the higher chance you get more headaches. Its a downward spiral that fuels its self and progressively get worse unless is stopped. When headache at its beginning stages its much easier to take care of. It becomes more difficult as it increases in its severity. At times these headaches can “self resolve”, but its not really resolution. It is more like a volcano that was done erupting and is sleeping until next earthquake. Take care of your self. You and your health are important in living happily, healthy life and it is also important for proper aging, but we will leave it for a different topic about aging.
Another common headache is migraine. True migraine is defined by aura (visual effects of color that occur before the onset of severe headache). This headache commonly takes people out for 2-3 days at a time. Usually people can’t go through the day when this migraine headache is present. There is anecdotal evidence in treating this. In my experience I was able to take care of it for my patients. Very frequently the common finding in these people is decreased neck curve that can be diagnosed by a simple xray. Decreased curve I. A neck leads to increased tension and vise versa and that in return decreases blood flow to the head. When enough blood flow decrease occurred a migraine headache may be triggered. Since this is postural correction it takes a few months to achieve but if you would like to know more about this, read a page about Posture and posture correction.