A Chiropractor May Be Just The Thing For Your Headache

Did you know nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches? So unless you’re the lucky one who doesn’t, you’re not alone in your suffering.  Some people suffer occasionally, some frequently. Some headaches are dull and throbbing, and some cause crippling pain and nausea.

What do you do for a pounding headache? Do you try to ignore it until it goes away? Take a nap? Swallow a pill and hope it does the job? There are better options. Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by chiropractic doctors – may be a more effective treatment 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. The study also showed that the pain relief was longer lasting, with far fewer side effects than with common medications.

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes. These may include foods; environmental stimuli such as noise, light,or stress; or behaviors such as insomnia, excessive exercise, or blood sugar changes.Ninety-five percent of headaches are tension, cluster, or migraine headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. Sedentary activities and spending long hours in one position can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp.

What Can You Do?

If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes or so. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.

Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.

Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lower teeth, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to irritation and a form of tension headaches.

Drink plenty of water every day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Chiropractic Doctor Do?

Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your body.

Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.

Teach better posture, ergonomics, exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

So if you are suffering from recurrent headaches, give the top Outer Banks Chiropractic care-giver, Dr. Craig, a call and set up an appointment for a pill free solution to this painful problem.