Chiropractors help Headaches

How a Chiropractor Can Help Your Headache

There are many reasons why a person may be experiencing headaches.  One major cause of headaches is muscle tension.  The tension can be caused by a variety of external and internal factors including stress, bad posture, anxiety, and exhaustion.  In a very recent study published by the journal Neurology, researchers discovered that even temperature increases could lead to severe headaches. 

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache and are often the result of stress.  The pain experienced by a tension-headache sufferer is caused by muscle contraction.  Muscles contract when a person is angry, fearful, or even irritated.  A person consistently experiencing negative emotions can develop tension that will manifest itself in the form of headache pain.

According to healthcare statistics, a staggering twenty-eight million Americans suffer from headaches and an overwhelming majority of headache patients are women.  A headache can greatly impact your quality of life and rob you of time and productivity.  Many chiropractors are anxious to help the millions of adults who suffer from headaches on a regular basis. 

For years, chiropractors have proved successful at delivering relief to millions who have suffered from headaches.  A chiropractor is one of the most sought out practitioners for many headache sufferers. ^ref

The Various Types of Headaches

There are various types of headaches that can occur in a patient.  The majority of headaches fall into two categories, migraine or tension, but the most common are tension headaches. 

Anyone can be affected by a tension headache.  Tension headaches can occur when their is a prolonged contraction of neck and back muscles.  For this reason, tension headaches are often refereed to as muscle-contraction headaches.  According to the May Clinic, a tension headache will cause a person to experience pain on both sides of the head.  The patient may also experience tightness around the head accompanied by a dull, aching pain.  

A migraine on the other hand is more severe and the patient will feel as if their head is throbbing.

Doctors have learned over the years that many headaches are connected to nerves and joints that are located in the shoulders and neck.  An adjustment to the joints and muscles in the neck, shoulder, or back and calm the nerves and relieve the pain of a headache. 

Those who suffer from migraines often have muscle pain, spasms, or neck problems as a potential source for the headache.  Because of a chiropractic's experience when dealing with such issues, migraine sufferers also lean towards chiropractic care to control their headaches. 

Relieving Tension Headaches

There are many home remedies and even ancient techniques that have been used by many to relieve a headache, but one of the most modern and reliable techniques to relieve the tension associated with a headache is to visit a chiropractor. 

In order to relieve the pain caused by a tension headache, a chiropractor will often loosen the muscle joints and strech muscles that are tight.  A person that suffers from frequent tension headaches can also try a massage, in conjunction to seeking help from a chiropractor. 

Finding the Right Chiropractor for your Headache

In order for the patient to get comfortable and have a trusting relationship with their chiropractor a consultation or phone interview is often initiated.  Different chiropractors have a range of issues that they specialize in and finding one that can help you with your particular ailment is important. 

A great chiropractor should be able to eliminate or reduce the pain associated with a headache within a few visits.  Chiropractic results vary.  Some patients have reported complete relief from headaches due to receiving chiropractic care while others report fewer headaches. Pain that persists would most likely be beyond the scope of a chiropractor.  Some chiropractors will use X-rays to examine whether or not an abnormal positioning of the neck or shoulder area is contributing to headaches. 

Most chiropractors have the necessary equipment to conduct orthopedic, physical and neurological tests to find the potential source of the headache.  A chiropractor should be able to properly diagnosis and refer the patient to an appropriate physician when there are persistent problems.

Over-the Counter Drugs and Headaches

One benefit to seeking chiropractic help to relieve headaches is the elimination of analgesic rebound headaches.  What are analgesic headaches?  Many people are surprised to find that analgesic headaches are caused from becoming physically dependent on over-the-counter medications to reduce headaches.  A rebound headache is caused from a cycle of taking too much headache medication which causes the body to adapt to the medicine. 

Medications often don't eliminate the source of a headache, they only relieve the symptoms and pain.  A chiropractor is able to deal with the source more directly and eliminate the possibility of analgesic rebound headaches.

The Foundation for Chiropractic Education conducted research on individuals who were receiving chiropractic therapy and discovered that many had less severe headaches than those who were being treated with a prescribed medication.  Some migraine sufferers have discovered that over-the-counter drugs have little or no effect on the pain they experience.

A chiropractor can also be helpful with educating the patient on what steps they could take in order to relieve headache pain in the future.  Great information on exercise, relaxation techniques, and even advice about nutrition can prove helpful to the patient in the long run and possibly eliminate headaches altogether.