Everything You Need To Know About Headaches

Headaches are one of the most common issues plaguing the population today. So common in fact that many people feel they are just a normal part of life and resign themselves to living in pain.

According to studies performed by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 52% of the world's population suffer from headaches within a given year, including 14% with migraines, 26% with tension-type headaches, and about 5% that suffer from headaches 15 or more days a month.¹

However, headaches shouldn’t be a normal part of life. Our staff has the experience, skills, and tools necessary to help relieve you from headaches.

What are Headaches?

Headaches are a term used for pain felt in your head, upper neck, face, and eyes that range in severity from a mild annoyance to completely debilitating. Most of the time, headaches are not serious, however, the pain associated with a headache can drastically reduce your quality of life.

There are over 150 different types of headaches, divided into two main categories: primary (not the result of any other underlying disease or process i.e., cluster headache or migraine) and secondary (related to another medical condition i.e., infection or head injury).

Common types of headaches and their symptoms:

• Tension headache - Often associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Symptoms can include a dull, constant pain on both sides of the head, a feeling of pressure behind the eyes, tenderness of the face, head, neck, and shoulders
• Cluster headache - Usually comes on suddenly and without warning and lasts between 15 minutes and 3 hours. People can experience up to eight attacks a day with the pain being described as an intense burning or piercing pain behind or around one eye.
• Exertional headache - Often appears after strenuous physical exercise such as running, biking, etc., with a throbbing pain throughout the head.
• Cervicogenic headaches - Associated with neck problems such as tension or misalignment with pain radiating on one side of the head or in one or more areas of the head and/or face.
• Sinus headaches - Associated with sinus pressure normally due to infection, allergies, etc., with pain appearing as a dull, throbbing ache around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead.
• Injury headaches* - Caused by an injury to the head or neck area. Can appear immediately or months after the injury with symptoms lasting up to 12 months.

*Always call an ambulance for a serious head injury or if experiencing unconsciousness, seizures, vomiting, memory loss, confusion, vision or hearing problems.

What causes headaches?

Headaches can appear suddenly without warning and can be triggered by a multitude of conditions or outside influences such as:

• Stress
• Muscle Tension
• Injury
• Lack of sleep and/or insomnia
• Allergies
• Sinus and/or ear infections
• Dehydration
• Eye strain
• Caffeine withdrawal or overconsumption
• Weather
• And much more

Depending on the severity and frequency of headaches, you may also experience nausea, anxiety, depression, dizziness, and an overall feeling of hopelessness due to pain and the limiting effects a headache can have on your normal life.

How long should a headache last?

Headache pain and longevity are as individual as you are and can last from a few minutes to several hours with some people noting migraines that have lasted 72 hours or longer. The length and severity of a headache can depend on the type of headache you are suffering from, however, circumstances such as prolonged stress, poor nutrition, injury, depression, tension, and more can attribute to prolonged headaches and more frequent episodes.

No matter your level of pain or whether experiencing one headache every six months or multiple headaches a week, you do not have to live in pain. There are natural, gentle, non-invasive treatments for headaches available at Stop Spine Chiropractic to help you reduce and/or eliminate headache frequency, pain, and reoccurrences.

How can chiropractic care help me?

Chiropractic care is a safe and effective solution that can minimize headaches by diagnosing and treating the root cause of the problem. In fact, a 2016 study found that 6 to 8 sessions of cervical and upper thoracic spine adjustments were more effective than movement and exercise for relieving pain in people with chronic headaches.²

This is done by approaching headaches with the entire body in mind. For example, Cervicogenic headaches are normally caused by neck issues, however, pain is not normally felt in the neck therefore they may be misdiagnosed as an issue with the head itself.

Our doctors’ whole-body approach to healing gets to the root cause by investigating the entire body. Many of our patients have experienced the following benefits.

Chiropractic Benefits for Headaches Include:

• Reduction in severity and frequency of headaches
• Restoration of soft tissue and nerve signals to allow the body to heal naturally
• Alleviate stress on the nervous system
• Improve posture
• Strengthen muscles and tissue surrounding the neck to better support the head
• Reduce symptoms of vertigo i.e., dizziness

Headaches do not need to be a normal part of your life. Discover how our team of chiropractors can help you rid headaches from your life by booking an appointment today.

We understand that not everyone is familiar with chiropractic care, so all new patients receive a consultation, examination and if necessary, an x-ray. Then our doctors will review your condition and walk you through an easy-to-follow treatment plan that’s unique to you.

There’s no pressure when you visit our office. Our friendly staff want to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health.