Chiropractor For Headaches
A natural treatment to relieve and manage headaches
Chiropractic And Headaches
Chances are you have experienced a headache at one point in your life and if you haven’t then consider yourself lucky!
The World Health Organisation has estimated that 50% of adults globally experience headache disorder (at least one headache in the past year) and about 50-75% of adults aged 18-65 years have had a headache in the last year. Headaches range in different severity, different locations and for different reasons. The good news is there are a lot of natural ways to relieve headaches. Chiropractic is a great treatment option for different types of headaches and studies show that good results can be obtained.
What are headaches?
Headaches are hard to specifically define as they can be varied in many ways. Mayo Clinic defines headaches as “Headache is pain in any region of the head. Headaches may occur on one or both sides of the head, be isolated to a certain location, radiate across the head from one point, or have a viselike quality.A headache may appear as a sharp pain, a throbbing sensation, or a dull ache. Headaches can develop gradually or suddenly and may last from less than an hour to several days.”
To better understand headaches its best to look at some symptoms and causes of headaches.
Symptoms Of Headaches
Headaches can vary in terms of location within the head, type of pain, severity of pain and length of time the pain has been present.
Common symptoms of headaches include:
- Pain anywhere in the head
- Tenderness of the scalp
- Tight muscles at bottom of skull or neck and shoulders
- Tight sensation in the head
Other associated symptoms with neck pain include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Pain in the eyes when looking into bright lights
- Dizziness
- Vertigo
- Fatigue
- Irritability
Headaches During Pregnancy
Many women experience headaches during their pregnancy especially in the first and third trimester. Early on headaches can be caused by hormonal changes and an increase in blood volume. Later in pregnancy headaches may be caused by posture changes that are occuring as your baby grows bigger. As a Chiropractor working with lots of pregnant woment I make sure I correctly diagnose your headache to make sure Chiropractic treatment is suitable for your headaches. Chiropractic care for headaches during pregnancy can relieve certain types of headaches. As a pregnancy Chiropractor I can also assist with providing safe and effective exercises and stretches to help you with your headaches.
What Causes Headaches?
It is said that Scientists have identified over 300 different causes for headaches! Different pain-sensitive structures and tissues like the skin, muscles, arteries, periosteal bone covering, and the upper cervical and facial nerves are some of the things that may produce headaches. Basically, there is no one cause of headaches and instead headaches have been categorised into different categories/types.
Do you experience Headaches? Want to do something about it? Call to see if Chiropractic Care is for you!
To better understand your headache its best to look at the individual types of headaches and see which one you identify with.
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic headaches are one of the most common types of headaches and are the ones I see most in practice.
These headaches are usually described as a dull constant ache on one or both sides of the head. The pain usually starts in the neck and then spreads up to the head and sometimes even behind the eyes. Cervicogenic headaches can last from a couple of hours to days or weeks.
These headaches are caused by dysfunctional structures in the neck. The major cause is from a loss of normal functioning of the spinal joints or what we Chiropractors call subluxations. When a subluxation occurs we see joints not moving properly and becoming restricted, muscles tightening and potential irritation of the spinal nerves. This occurs from prolonged poor posture, physical stressors such as poor pillows or repetitive strains from poor work set up or injuries.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are also a type of headache I see a lot of in practice.
These headaches are usually described as a mild to moderate pain pressure or tightness across the forehead, behind the eyes and into the temples – almost like a sweat band across the head. The pain can be daily for some people and every other day for others. It tends to be aggravated by certain postures and activities and can be relived by pressing into the base of the skull or upper neck.
These headaches tend to be caused by tight or spasming muscles in the neck or skull (and sometimes even shoulders). These muscles are tight either from prolonged poor posture or from subluxations in the neck and upper back.
They can also be caused by other forms of stress such as emotional stress as well as things such as eye strain, depression, alcohol use, dehydration and skipping meals.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are a nastier type of headache and are less common than the previous two.
Cluster headaches affect less than one person in every 1,000 and are described as excruciating piercing or burning pain on one side of the head and behind one eye. They usually occur at night and last anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours. They tend to occur in episodes over a period of a few weeks with long periods in between each episode.
There is no proven cause for this headache, but some research suggests that the hypothalamus (a gland in the brain) activated the trigeminal nerve (a large nerve that supply’s the face and head) which causes these headaches.
Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are a result of an underlying sinus issue such as an infection or viral cold.
Sinuses are cavities in our skull that sit above the eyes, in the forehead and in the cheekbones as well as the bride of our nose. Sinus headaches occur when these cavities incur increased pressure from congestion, allergic reaction or inflammation.
These headaches can be confusing as they share a lot of the same symptoms as a tension headache but discoloured nasal mucus or pain in one or both cheeks can set it apart. As well as an underlying illness such as a cold or infection.
Other symptoms of sinus headaches may include pain in the upper teeth, a feeling of swelling or fullness in the face and pain that worsens when bending forward.
Migraines
Migraines are a topic in themselves and have been extensively researched for many years without having a clear reason for their occurrence.
They are described as severe throbbing pain that lasts for hours or days. They are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and sound sensitivity. Some people even describe feeling a tingling sensation in one side of the arm, leg or face. Some people experience visual disturbances (called an aura) which can look like twinkling lights.
There are many hypotheses around the cause of migraines but the exact reason is still unknown. However, what we do know is that there are many triggers of migraines such as alcohol, chemicals, cheese, stress and hormonal issues.
There are many other types of headaches including:
- Cranial Neuralgia
- Exercise headaches
- Menstrual and hormonal headaches
- Eyestrain headaches
- Dehydration headaches
- Caffeine headaches
- TMJ headaches
- Hangover headaches
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Brain aneurysm
Can Chiropractic Help With Headaches?
A lot of people choose chiropractors as their practitioner to help them with their headaches.
At InnerBloom chiropractic it is my aim to not only help relieve your headache but also find the true reason for why it has occurred in the first place. This is especially important with headaches as the causes are so vast and it is important to correctly diagnose the headache type to then treat it correctly.
To diagnose and treat a headache I take a detailed history of not only your current headache but we also discuss previous headaches and patterns as well as things such as your occupation, lifestyle, hobbies and any previous injuries/medical history to get a full understanding of what has happened and how I can help. I pride myself on not only helping you with your headache but putting things in place so that it doesn’t come back.
After our detailed history we will then go through a thorough examination where we look at things like your posture, range of motion and a bunch of other tests that help us identify what is causing your headaches. If need be I will refer you for further testing such as an X-ray or if my history and exam reveal certain types of headaches a referral back to your GP or Specialist may be warranted.
Depending on what is causing your headaches will determine how we treat it. Chiropractic has great outcomes with cervicogenic and tension type headaches and some patients report decreased migraines after Chiropractic care. It is important to note that not all headaches are successfully treated by Chiropractic but this will be determined through your history and examination.
I tailor my treatments to each patient so that you get the best care possible. Some treatment options include:
- Chiropractic adjustments for headaches
- Chiropractic mobilisations for headaches
- Soft tissue therapy
- Rehabilitation exercises
- Posture advice
- Lifestyle advice
THINK CHIROPRACTIC CARE COULD HELP YOUR HEADACHES
If you are in the Diamond creek or surrounding suburbs and are experiencing headaches then why not get assessed and treated by your female chiropractor here at InnerBloom chiropractic.
Not sure if we are the right choice for you – we do complimentary 15 minute phone consults to discuss your issues and whether we are the right chiropractr for yor neck pain.
GALLERY
