Many people struggle with headaches. There are certainly various types of headaches. One person may have migraine headaches, another may have tension headaches, and someone else may have sinus headaches. What do they all have in common? In my 35 years of chiropractic practice I have found that the majority of headaches, are coming from the spine. This article will discuss headaches, important research concerning this condition and headache pain relief.
As I noted earlier, there are varying types of headaches. Let’s briefly discuss these. Migraine headaches are classically located on one side of the head. They are usually preceded by a “prodrome.” A prodrome occurs before the actual head pain. For some it might be a loss of peripheral vision, others may get a ringing in the ears and another might get a feeling of numbness in the facial area. Migraine sufferers usually experience a severe pain that can cause them disability to the point they may have to lie down in a dark quiet room.
Tension headaches, which also may be called muscular stress headaches, can be located anywhere in the skull. Some people get them in the back of the head, others might get them in the temples and another might find them to be all over the entire skull. Stress and tiredness tend to trigger tension headaches. Usually, they are mild to moderate in nature and those suffering from them are accustomed to continuing on with their day, albeit under duress.
Sinus headaches are usually located in front of the head and are located around the eyes, forehead and upper cheeks. They may occur with changes in weather, temperature or seasonal changes. They are confounding to those having them due to their unpredictability.
Fortunately, there is a single type of conservative care that is blessing for headache pain alleviation. Research has found that the cause of headaches is frequently found by correcting spinal misalignments in the upper neck. In fact, the Journal of Occupational Trauma published a research article that said: “Headaches are more frequently caused by spinal stress than any other condition.”
A doctor of chiropractic is trained to evaluate the upper spinal bones of the neck for misalignments and improper motion. If there is abnormal alignment or motion of these bones, called vertebrae, it can irritate nerves that cause migraine, tension, and sinus headaches.
Chiropractors are also trained to restore proper alignment and motion to the upper spinal vertebrae by way of a chiropractic adjustment. A chiropractic adjustment is very safe, gentle conservative. Many headache sufferers are used to taking medications for headaches. These drugs may have unhealthy side effects. Chiropractic care is known to be a non-pharmaceutical alternative for headache pain relief.
For over 125 years chiropractors have cared for patients suffering from headaches and provided pain relief.