If you have frequent headaches you're not alone, 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. These headaches
range from dull/throbbing to extreme pain that causes nausea. What do you do when a headaches hits you?
Take some type of pain medicine and hope the pain goes away, out for the day and need to lay in bed? There is
a much natural alternative! Research shows that spinal manipulation treatment provided by a chiropractic doctor
may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate from the neck.
Triggers:
Headaches have many causes or "triggers". These could include food, stress, light, noise or behaviors like insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes. About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals telling the body there is something wrong. The remaining 95 percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These headaches are the primary concern not associated with a diseases. The majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck. Today Americans engage in more stationary activities than in the past, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture, such as sitting at a desk or staring down at your cellphone. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.
What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?
- Your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:
- Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
- Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.
Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.