According to the American Chiropractic Association, studies show that nine out of ten Americans experience headaches. These Americans suffer from different types of headaches, and although some only experience mild annoyances now and again, others suffer from chronic aching and pain. The good news is that a chiropractor can help. Study after study has shown that chiropractic care can actually reduce the incidence of headaches and the intensity of pain that’s experienced. Whether your headaches are severe and debilitating or a mild problem that occurs a little too often, seeing a chiropractor may be the solution.
How Does Chiropractic Care Reduce Headaches?
Most headaches are cervicogenic headaches, tension headaches, or migraine headaches. If you are experiencing cervicogenic headaches, you will be feeling a dull or aching pain around the temples, forehead or eye regions. Tension headaches feel like a constriction of your temples or forehead and induce a mild or moderate pain. Migraine headaches are the most painful and usually feel like a throbbing on one side of the head. What do all of these headaches have in common? In all three, the pain originates from the neck. According to ChiropracticFirst.com, these types of headaches as well as other head pain is usually caused by upper cervical trauma. If a person experiences cervical trauma and vertebrae become displaced, they may start feeling chronic head pain.
This is where a chiropractor can help with your headaches. After conducting a chiropractic examination, the chiropractor will be able to determine if your headaches are caused by displaced vertebrae. If they are, the chiropractor can realign and correct the position of the vertebrae, thereby reducing the amount of headaches you experience. ChiropracticFirst.com reports that a 2001 study of 683 patients showed that regular chiropractic care can reduce chronic headaches and is superior to medication because there are fewer side effects.
A doctor of chiropractic medicine can also help you reduce headaches in other ways. By evaluating you and getting an understanding of where your headaches are coming from, a doctor of chiropractic medicine can advise you on nutrition and a change of diet, as well as give you some tips regarding posture and exercise that can reduce tension in your neck.
Other Tips
Our sedentary, office-bound lifestyle is a cause for many of our health problems, including headaches. When someone sits in a static position in an office chair all day, he is putting a lot of strain on his back and neck – it is important to practice good posture, especially if you are a desk worker. If this sounds like a normal day at work for you, it might be a good idea to move around a bit and stretch every thirty minutes to an hour. Incorporating some stretches that specifically target your head and neck would be an even better idea.
Also remember to drink a lot of water during the day because headaches can sometimes be caused by dehydration. By following some of these tips, but most importantly, by meeting with a chiropractor and getting an evaluation, you will be able to reduce the number of headaches you experience and hopefully minimize the pain as well. Contact the staff at Advanced Chiropractic and Holistic Wellness center to schedule a consultation today.