Are you regularly reaching for medication to help relieve headache symptoms? Headaches are common and whether you are dealing with mild, dull, throbbing, or severe tension, headaches can be disruptive to your everyday routine. On average, 38% of the population suffers from tension headaches. Out of those regularly affected, 8.3% lose workdays due to their headaches. Although headaches are common, they are not normal, and it is important to find out the root cause. Headaches happen when blood vessels or nerves entering your skull are irritated. The onset of headaches is produced by various factors such as your stress levels, sleep, and diet. These factors can affect the movement of your spine causing nerve interference. This is why headaches are often painful.
Why can’t I just take medication to help with my headaches?
While over-the-counter pain medication may give you the relief you are hoping for, it is only temporary relief. It is important to find what is causing your headaches to occur, therefore you can prevent them from happening so frequently. Not only will suppressing your symptoms with medication cause a lack of understanding the root problem, but it can also have negative long-term effects on your body. Over time, repetitive use of pain medication can be harmful to your organs, especially the kidneys and liver.
Different Types of Headaches
There are dozens of sub-classes of headaches, but the most common are tension, migraine, sinus, and cluster headaches.
Tension Headache: Constant pressure or the feeling of your head being squeezed
Migraine Headache: Severe headache with nervous system symptoms
Cluster Headache: One-sided or in a specific spot that has severe or throbbing pain. Commonly behind the eye or near the temples
Sinus Headache: Pain and pressure surrounds the sinus cavities in the face
How can chiropractic care help?
The nerves in your cervical spine (neck) are the common link to many types of headaches, encouraging many people to turn to chiropractic care for their headache relief and prevention. Chiropractic care is safe and effective. At Harborside Chiropractic, first, you will go through a health history consultation and physical examination to determine if you have any subluxations contributing to your headaches. Subluxation is another way of saying your vertebrae are not aligned correctly, causing nerve interference. By correcting your subluxations using gentle adjustments, it will restore proper function and relieve any pressure in your neck.
Natural Relief from Headaches
Magnesium, chiropractic adjustments, and B-vitamins are three effective solutions for headaches. Low levels of magnesium in the body have been linked to migraine headaches. B- vitamins have been known to reduce stress levels and improve your overall mood and energy. If stress is a leading factor for why you struggle with headaches, taking a B-vitamin could help. Chiropractic care has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of headache pain.
What other steps can I take to prevent headaches?
In addition to regular chiropractic adjustments and supplements, there are also lifestyle modifications you can make to help prevent headaches from occurring. It can be difficult to relieve pain from headaches and prevent frequent headaches when you do not understand the factors contributing to them. Start thinking, what am I doing when my headaches start? Do my headaches happen in the morning, afternoon or at night before bed?
For many of us, the most common causes are:
Stress
Poor posture
Sleep insomnia
Diet and/or caffeine intake
Constant electronic use such as phones, computers, and tablets
Dehydration
Injury
Environmental factors
Seeking Headache Relief
If frequent headaches are plaguing your everyday life, setting up an appointment with a chiropractor could be the first step to seeing results. Once you and your doctor establish what is causing the problem, they can come up with a corrective care plan best suited for you. Spinal manipulation and other adjustments can help rid tension built up in your body over time and can start to relieve the headache pain.
