You know the symptoms: throbbing, blurred vision, pressure behind the eyes. You know what it feels like coming on – that creeping tightness above your temples, or the stiffness at the base of your skull.
It’s safe to say that probably everyone will experience a headache of some type at some point in their life. They’re never fun, but sometimes they can be much worse than a minor annoyance.
Some people suffer from chronic tension headaches or routine migraines, and these people know the truth: a bad headache can stop you in your tracks!
Headaches vary in location as often as they do in intensity. The reason for this is that the possible cause(s) of a headache are also varied. The following is an extensive list of headache-inducing lifestyle and environmental factors:
- Muscle contractions in the neck
- Stress
- Certain foods
- Eyestrain
- Alcohol
- Dry eyes
- Fatigue
- Smoking
- Cold or flu
- Sinus infection or pressure
- Poor posture
- Emotional stress
These factors–and many more not listed here–mostly lead to one of the five most common types of headaches:
Tension – the most common; characterized by constant aching near the temples or back of the head and neck.
Cluster– happen on one side of the head, and are often debilitating and accompanied by watery eyes and a runny nose.
Sinus– due to inflamed sinuses from infection or allergies.
Rebound – headaches actually caused by taking too many OTC pain relievers.
Migraines– lasting between 4 and 72 hours, and accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and throbbing pain.
Some over-the-counter medications can relieve certain types of headaches, but taking them should be a last resort. Stretches, hydration, and regular exercise can also help. There’s also another solution.
What Can a Chiropractor Do For Headache Relief?
A popular term in chiropractic care is subluxation. This is when a spine joint, or vertebra, becomes out of alignment. When this occurs, nerves, discs, and fluid sacs can become agitated, inflamed, or worse. Subluxations can lead to headaches. In fact, many headaches can be relieved when these subluxations are corrected by professional chiropractic alignment.
Studying your posture, balance, and your ability to twist your head and bend at the waist, the chiropractor will be able to recognize what problem areas you might have in your spine. According to your comfort level, they will realign and adjust your spine to curve as it should. These movements will help relieve pressure on your muscles and tendons that run through your back, up to your neck, and around your skull.
The team at Stucky Chiropractic is ready to help free you from the pain of headaches. Call our office today to learn how we can assist you.