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Do you ever find yourself reaching for the pill bottle to find relief from a pounding head yet again? After all, the commercials say it’s the absolute answer. By the law of cause and effect, we know that a headache is an effect and there must be a cause. Sure, it’s from stress, but what stress? How did the stress affect you? And how can you relieve the effects of your stress? Any stress, whether mental, like worrying, physical like an injury, or chemical like some medications, all cause tension in muscles, then joints, then the nerves. Chiropractic care addresses the tension on joints and muscles to reduce the irritation of the nerves.
There are several different types of headaches and an equally large assortment of causes. Firstly, headaches are either primary (relatively benign) or secondary (malignant – caused by something more sinister). Luckily, most headaches are primary and not too serious even if they are quite painful. Secondary, malignant headaches are much rarer, though need to be considered in the initial diagnosis. Tumors, cancer, aneurysms, infection, or brain trauma are some of the many possible causes of secondary headaches.
Most primary headaches are tension or migraine types. Both respond well to physical releases in muscle, joint and nerve tension through Chiropractic treatment. A thorough history and examination is extremely important before treating any headache patient. We must rule out secondary headaches. Any time a sudden and very severe headache (thunderclap) occurs, one should report to their doctor or emergency room asap. We also inquire about recent trauma, infection, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, vision, weakness, facial paralysis, speech changes, or history of cancer. If that is all clear, then we are likely working with tension or migraines. You may also have dizziness, nausea or ringing in the ears which are common with migraines. When the muscles are tense, and painful to pressure, that is part of the cause of tension and migraine headache. Massage, stretching, and Chiropractic adjustments can help. And, more importantly, when the joints between the vertebrae in the neck and upper back get locked, a subluxation results, causing irritation to the nerves which can often be the main cause of headaches. In this case, releasing muscles only helps a little, the joints need to be unlocked with chiropractic adjustments to restore normal motion in the joints and reduce the nerve irritation.
Some of the more common causes of the stress that cause headaches are posture with too much screen time, too much sitting in general, injury or strain of the neck and upper back, worrying, lack of sleep, repetitive strain in a poor position, or even too much movement of the neck especially looking up and back … as in painting ceilings. All of these causes can result in muscles growing tight and sore and then eventually joints become stiff and locked. We encourage people to work at releasing their own muscles as much as they can. Together with a few good stretches, they may stop or at least help reduce the tension and headache pain. If these tips don’t stop the headache, then we suggest the person comes to our office for a complete consultation, thorough examination, and possibly treatment. We refer to our local Xray labs in Orillia if one is needed to further study the trouble. Once the serious, secondary headaches are ruled out and we find the exact cause of the irritation, a program of care can be discussed and can usually be started that day or soon afterwards. Adjustments are painless and feel good, like we are getting to the root of the tension that is causing the headache.
Sometimes people tell me they get normal headaches. The truth is, no headache is normal. They may be mild and only happen occasionally, but they are not normal and should be examined.