Let’s face it, nobody likes having a headache. It not only affects our day-to-day lives, but
it can also affect how we act towards others around us. If you have a headache, you’re not alone.
Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some
frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and
nausea.
What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit
your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There
is a better alternative.
Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care
provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for
tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A report released in 2001 by researchers at
the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that
spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those
headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects
and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed
medication.
Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment
for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after
four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those
patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.
There are many triggers for headaches, but one of the most common causes
is muscle tension and stress on the joints in the neck that are active in
supporting the head. This can affect
nerves, muscles and even the blood supply to your head.
Chiropractic care for headaches
will typically consist of spinal manipulation to restore normal mobility to the
joints in the neck that may be restricted, a combination of stretching and
strengthening exercises to help with any muscular imbalances and/or soft tissue
modalities such as interferential current (IFC) to help reduce muscular tension
and nerve irritation.
“I was living with terrible
migraines day after day and it was impacting my work life as well as personal
life. I was even having troubles sleeping through the night. I had tried all
sorts of pain relievers without any relief. I could tell that my neck was super
tight, and someone suggested to me to see Dr. Lara. I had never been to a
chiropractor before, so I was super nervous. She was more than gentle with me
and took everything very slow. She did a thorough job explaining what she was
doing and why, which helped ease my nerves. The very next day, after one
adjustment, my terrible migraine was gone. I couldn’t believe that I had been
living with that pain for so long with such a readily available fix.” –
Gina Havlovick
While we can’t guarantee chiropractic care will be the answer for
everybody, our offices have a high success rate with patients who get
headaches. If we are unable to find and
correct the cause of your headaches, we will refer you to a specialist who may
be able to help in another way. Your
health is our only goal.
