Headaches are very common, affecting 90 percent of people in the U.S. Some people suffer headaches on an occasional basis while others suffer from them almost daily. The pain that comes with the headaches may differ from person to person. Some people might experience throbbing or dull pain, while others might suffer pain that is debilitating. If your first move when you suffer from a headache is to grab some ibuprofen or acetaminophen, you should consider spinal manipulation as a safer treatment for chronic headaches.
Spinal Treatment and Research
Spinal manipulation (adjusting) is a common treatment that is performed by chiropractors. According to a study that was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2014, chiropractic treatment, including spinal manipulation, helps to improve the symptoms of people who suffer chronic and acute neck pain. Another study in the same journal that was published in 2011 found that spinal manipulation can help to improve cervicogenic and migraine headaches.
- Headache Causes
- There are many different causes of headaches, including the following:
- Environmental stimuli such as lights and noises
- Food
- Insomnia
- Blood sugar changes
- Excess exercise
- Stress
- Muscle tension in the neck
Approximately 95 percent of headaches are primary in nature, meaning that they do not indicate a disease but are instead the primary issue by themselves. Most headaches include muscle tension of the neck. Activities such as spending hours sitting in front of a computer or engaging in other similarly sedentary behaviors can cause muscle tension and irritation in the neck, leading to headaches and other problems.
Steps to Prevent Headaches
There are several things that you can do to help to prevent headaches. If your job requires you to spend a long time in one position, make certain to stretch and to take a break every 10 minutes up to an hour. The stretches that you perform should involve a comfortable range of motion for your neck and head.
Engaging in regular exercise may help to relieve headache pain. However, the exercise should not be heavy if you suffer from throbbing, dull headaches. Instead, low-impact exercises may be preferable.
Finally, make certain that you drink enough water and avoid clenching your teeth. Dehydration and stress on your temporomandibular joints can both lead to headaches.
What Might a Chiropractor Do?
When you meet with your doctor of chiropractic, he or she may do one of the following for primary headaches:
- Perform adjustments or spinal manipulation to alleviate stress and to improve the function of your spine;
- Give you advice about nutrition, including recommending dietary changes and taking vitamins;
- Give you recommendations on ergonomics, posture, relaxation techniques, and exercises to help to alleviate recurring tension in your joints and muscles.
Contact Absolute Health Center
In order to help their patients to alleviate many different types of pain symptoms and other problems, chiropractors go through extensive education and training. They understand the relationship between spinal tension and problems that can happen in other areas of the body and are able to help to relieve them. Dr. Weigle and Absolute Health Center are dedicated to helping patients to find relief from their pain related problems in Gainesville, Florida. To learn more about how chiropractic care might help to relieve your chronic headaches, neck pain, low back pain, and other issues, call (352) 377-7373 to schedule an appointment.