Everyone gets the occasional headache, but some headaches get so bad they won’t go away. While drugs treat the symptoms, they often ignore the underlying cause of the problem.

The worst headaches can be slow to respond to the intended effect of the medications. The stronger medications can have negative and long-lasting effects to the rest of your body when used for extended periods. They is why many people finally decide to look to other, more natural (and safer) solutions for their problem such as chiropractic.

Some Types of Headaches

In order to better treat any type of condition, it is first important to try to understand what is causing the problem. Since there are many different types of headaches, some can be treated better by chiropractic than some of the others. Headaches can be caused by

-changes in constriction of the vascular system

-muscle tension

-sinus congestion

These headaches may refer pain all over the head and feel like they’re centered in many different locations, but it is most important to know that chiropractic is a great solution to those headaches that are centered around tension in the muscles and changes to vascular flow. Sinus headaches may be treated as well, but its likely that the cause is more complicated.

The three main types of headaches most often found in chiropractic offices are:

-migraine headaches

-tension headaches

-cervicogenic headaches

The last kind of headache mentioned can sound a bit scary, but cervicogenic means a headache that is being caused by the bones, muscles, or nerves of neck.

Tension Headaches

If we become stressed, scared, or angry, your body will respond with increased muscle tension in the head, neck, and shoulders. This reaction is called the fight or flight response, and it is the normal response to stress. If we are stressed often (as most of us are) and we can neither run or fight, the muscle tension becomes a habit.

This can lead to some imbalances in the way we hold our body, which in turn leads to more muscle tension and pain. Chiropractic treatment can relax these muscles and realign the spine’s structure to put and end to the vicious cycle of pain. Those seeking chiropractic care for tension headaches can often see a marked improvement in just a few treatments as the nerves become less irritated and the muscles begin to relax.

Migraine Headaches

Migraines are caused by changes in vascular flow, brought about by a variety of factors such as changes in the weather, stress, hormonal changes, different smells or foods and all sorts of other triggers. These headaches do not usually start as pain but instead often begin as visual auras or nausea. The ensuing headache can be strong or weak, but for most people migraines tend to be very painful.

Recent research has indicated that chiropractic treatment can reduce the number of migraines a person experiences. By adjusting the neck and spine with chiropractic treatment, you may be able to improve vascular flow and reduce the nerve irritation in the spine.

Treatment

Chiropractic care centers around manipulation of the spine and neck to improve blood flow and posture. To reduce the headaches, the chiropractor will perform spinal adjustments using his hands, but may also include massage, trigger point therapy, or other types of complementary treatments to address the problem. The doctor of chiropractic will probably also include some home care recommendations such as stretching exercises and posture education to help keep things balanced between visits.

Philip Vincent is a health care educator. Need a Chiropractor Kirkland? Consider this Chiropractor Juanita.

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