Headaches

Conditions / Headaches
una vita chiro

One in five people have a headache right now.

Most are preventable with chiropractic care.

They are the second most common physical disorder in the world (after dental caries).  Additionally, headaches and lower back pain are the top-two causes of years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLD).  (1)

If you have ever heard the story about my mother, you know how passionate I am about caring for people with headaches.  This debilitated my mother for decades, and medical treatment offered nothing but painkillers that caused more health problems, and two hospitalizations.  It was her daring choice to see a chiropractor that, in her words, saved her life.  

I care a lot about headaches, and consequently, caring for them has come easy to me.  The success rate for my patients is well over 90 percent, and most are able to get rid of this terrible problem permanently. 

 

What Causes Headaches?

Headaches can be caused by physical, emotional and chemical sources

Physical damage to the muscles and joints of the neck can refer pain to the head.  This damage can be caused by an accident, posture or any type of strenuous activity.  

For example, childbirth can cause damage to the upper neck, especially if the baby is born by C-section.  Around 10% of children have headaches, and many doctors and researchers have accepted that enough stress can occur at birth to cause headaches.  In fact, research has shown that up to 90% of babies have membranous articular strains to the skull or neck, which are visible to any physician proficient in cranial diagnostic techniques.(3)

Consequently, birth trauma is the root of many headaches in children and adults.  This is compounded by the damage caused by falls, poor posture, device use, sitting at a desk, sport injury, concussions and other accidents that occur throughout life.  

  
una vita chiro
A man experiencing headaches with a brain on his head.

Emotional Causes

Chiropractic reduces stress.

You probably know that emotional stress causes muscle tension.  Also, it causes a rolling forward of the shoulders known as “slouching.”  These postural stresses can make headaches worse.  Add to this the emotional and physical stress of addiction to devices and email, and we have a recipe for a headache disaster.  

Chiropractic adjustments reduce stress in the body, and can balance the sympathetic nervous system.  Many chiropractors monitor stress with a device called a Pulse Wave Profiler.  This measures heart rate, skin conductance and temperature for 3 minutes, and determines changes in your stress level.  Your adjustments, along with other lifestyle activities, can reduce the emotional stress causing your health problems.

Chemical triggers of headaches

 Is your body reacting to something?

Many patients will find they have headaches triggered by dehydration, reduced caffeine, preservatives, or other chemicals in their environment or food.  There are two ways to address this: reduce the toxicity around you, and improve your body’s ability to adapt to it.  

Cranial chiropractic techniques are helpful to improve the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to detoxify the brain, and facilitate the body’s natural ability to heal.  Patients with a history of concussions are much more likely to be vulnerable to emotional and chemical stress.   Chiropractic care improves the ability for the body to adapt to stress, and reduces the likelihood of headaches.  

 

una vita chiro headaches 5
water

When to Seek Treatment?

We can find the underlying causes.  

If you get headaches, even occasionally, you would benefit from visiting a chiropractor right away.  Chiropractors are able to detect underlying issues and correct them before your symptoms happen.  

Over 50% of our patients present with headaches, but we can almost always find a solution.  Our goal is always to give you relief as quickly as possible, and offer ways to keep you healthy for a lifetime.

 

References:

(1)Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 countries and territories, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2018;392(10159):1789-858.

(2)https://migrainecanada.org/posts/the-migraine-tree/branches/social-life/how-many-people-have-headaches/How Many People Have Headaches?  Post: www.migrainecanada.org

(3)The Trauma of Birth.  Viola Fryman, DO

Take Control Of Your Health And Your Life Today

Take the next step!