Headaches are inevitable. The majority of the people suffer from headaches at some point in their lives. These can range in intensity from a faint ache to a strong throbbing pain accompanied by nausea. The sort of headache you get is determined by the location of the headache and the intensity of the pain. There are actually different types of headaches — from tension headaches to migraines. Tension headaches are the most prevalent variety and can cause discomfort across the head, scalp, and neck. For this reason, chiropractic care has been shown to help relieve tension headaches, which are commonly caused by a mix of stress and back or neck strain. With migraines, on the other hand, they are throbbing headaches that can cause terrible pain, nausea, and sensitivity to the surroundings in certain people. Migraines are frequently chronic, with pain lasting ranging from a few hours to several days.
Natural Approach to Relieve Headache
When you get a headache, the first thing that comes to mind is to take an over-the-counter pain treatment. But have you considered a more natural approach to headache relief? While over-the-counter pain relievers may provide some temporary relief from headache pain, they will not address the source of the problem or treat the condition that is producing your headaches. As mentioned to be a treatment for tension headaches, chiropractic care, without medication, has been shown to be a successful treatment for a variety of headaches, since this can be assessed, diagnosed, and treated by chiropractors.
Chiropractic care, particularly manual therapy, appears to be useful in the treatment of cervicogenic and tension headaches. This has also been demonstrated to reduce the severity and frequency of migraines in studies. It is also a safe and effective solution that will not just get rid of headache pain, but will actually treat what is causing the headache in the first place. Massage, passive and active exercises, spinal manipulation, and even lifestyle changes are all involved in this process.
Chiropractic Adjustments
Chiropractic adjustments can help with acute and chronic neck discomfort, reducing the number of headaches you get – whether you have migraines, tension headaches, or something else. Chiropractors will first evaluate all possible causes of your headache pain to address the pain more effectively. Then, they will be performing a spinal manipulation or adjustment, altering the position of your spine using focused techniques to improve spinal function and relieve nervous system tension. This permits your body to function normally, lowering the likelihood of stress and tension building up until headache pain occurs.
Usually, in addressing headaches, your chiropractor will most likely do a spinal manipulation on your neck for headaches. But then, still depending on the results of your evaluation, your doctor may also adjust your back. This manipulation will not only relieve your current headaches, but it will also lower your chance of stress and tension building up and creating future headache pain. And for some instances, your chiropractor will discover different vertebrae that are out of place or have a subluxation and are placing pressure on your nerves utilizing a focused methodology or x-ray films. This additional stress on the neurological system is frequently what prevents your body from working correctly and causes headaches.
Deep Neck Flexion Exercises
Under the supervision of a chiropractor, deep neck flexion exercises entail physically manipulating your joints and shoulders. Doing a series of chin tucks while lying flat on the floor is an example of this workout. The next step is to nod your head. The purpose of this exercise is to stretch the deep neck flexor muscle, which supports the neck. You can get rid of your headaches by doing so.
Neuromuscular Massage
Neuromuscular massage, also referred to as trigger point therapy, is a sort of massage that concentrates on the head, neck, shoulder, and back trigger points. It increases blood flow and reduces stress. This sort of massage also relieves pressure on constricted nerves, which transmit pain signals to the brain. As a result, discomfort is reduced.
Multidisciplinary Care Intervention
Stress management, relaxation techniques, physical therapy exercises, and dietary counseling are all part of this chiropractic approach. Multidisciplinary treatment has been demonstrated to be useful in reducing migraine duration, frequency, pain, and impairment.
Lifestyle Changes Recommendations
A chiropractor’s thorough approach to headache management includes knowing the triggers. They will spend time getting to know the patient and their situation. This will be done in order to determine the source of the headaches. Chiropractors can help their patients make simple lifestyle changes to avoid headaches once they have identified the precise foods or environmental triggers that cause them. Moreover, they believe that treating headaches requires a multidimensional approach, which includes identifying your triggers. They will be working with you to understand your specific situation and identify the source of your problems.
Furthermore, long periods of time in one position are frequently linked to tension headaches. Looking down at your phone or working at a computer can cause muscular stress in your neck. Thus, resulting in “tech neck” and increased headache risk. Long periods like this in the same position can aggravate joints and cause muscle stress in the upper back. Chiropractors typically recommend that you take a break every 30-60 minutes to walk around, change positions, and help fend off pain in addition to your recommended chiropractic care plan.
Overall, lifestyle changes combined with chiropractic adjustments can significantly reduce persistent headache discomfort.
Key Takeaway
Headaches are unpleasant, inconvenient, and can disrupt your daily life. Fortunately, if you treat the symptoms early, you will not be in pain for long. And with chiropractic care, apart from medication treatments, is an option that can help you manage your headaches. You will be pain-free for days, weeks, months, or even years if you follow the treatment plan advised by a chiropractor.
It is critical to treat headaches carefully. If you suffer regular headaches, frequently take pain relievers for your headaches, your headache pattern varies, or your headaches are getting worse, see a chiropractor. If your headache is sudden and severe, comes after a head injury, or is accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, weakness, numbness, or difficulty speaking, seek medical help right away.