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.