Chiropractic and headaches
Chiropractic care can be very effective in treating headaches, especially with new research showing that spinal manipulation may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.
If you have never experienced a headache, you are one of the lucky ones. Approximately 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. Some people push through the pain and continue on with their day, others reach for the closest bottle of their favorite over-the-counter pain reliever and others take a trip to see their favorite Chiropractic Physician. It’s no surprise seeing 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.
The majority of headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck. It makes sense if we go through a quick anatomy lesson: the neck and upper back are made up of various muscles including the upper trapezius, levator scapula, sternocleidomastoid and semispinalis capitus.
The majority of these muscles start out in our upper back area and attach to the cervical spine (neck) or head. So from seeing where these muscles start and begin, it makes sense how headaches can be related to them. Trigger points within these muscles can also refer pain to the head, (an area irritated area within the muscle but you actually feel pain the pain from it somewhere else), but that is a story for another blog post.
These muscles often become tight and fatigued due to our way of life. Most of us spend a good part of the day staring at computers, sitting at desks or driving. This results in our shoulders rolling forward and our head leaning forward. (Check to see how your posture is after you’ve been sitting at your desk for a while, most of us don’t even realize we are sitting like this). This repetitive posture overloads the muscles of our neck causing them to fatigue, which puts them at an increased risk of injury or sprain/strain. Headaches are another sign that your neck muscles are screaming for help.
Here at APM Dr. Max and I utilize various techniques to help these tight muscles relax. We incorporate heat, massage and stretching techniques, chiropractic adjustments and rehab exercises or stretches. Once we get the tight muscles to relax, we need to strengthen the muscles in your mid back. These muscles tend not to work so well because they “forget” to do their job due to us not using them. These muscles need to turn on to take some of the stress off our upper back and neck muscles.
There are other causes of headaches including food triggers (caffeine), environmental stimuli and/or behaviors (insomnia, blood sugar changes). Be sure to stay hydrated, dehydration is also a common cause of headaches. Only about 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.
So the next time you feel a headache coming on, don’t push through it or depend on medication alone. Ask yourself, are these really fixing the problem? Also, while you are sitting at a desk or driving for an extended period of time, get up each hour and walk around. Your body will thank you!
Chiropractic and headaches
