Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches

The basis of Chiropractic treatment is to diagnose and treat a patient by manipulating the musco-skeletal structure, most specifically the spine. Although chiropractic care is most commonly used to treat lower back issues, it is also useful for treating a range of other problems.

Headaches

All of us experience a headache from time to time. It is estimated that in the US alone, over 250 million workdays are lost per year to headaches. We also spend in the excess of $250 billion on headache treatments each year, mainly in the form of painkillers.

The problem with painkillers is that they kill the pain without solving the problem. The underlying issue is not addressed.

Chiropractic treatment can deal very effectively with some headaches by addressing the cause and therefore killing the pain!

Causes

There are a wide variety of causes for headaches. It can be the “morning after the night before” kind of headache. Headaches are also caused by environmental factors like noise, eye strain, an unhealthy diet, or even constipation.

Chiropractic care mainly deals with headaches that result from stressed muscles in the neck. This generally results from the misalignment of the neck or cervical spine. Headaches of this type are often called cervicogenic headaches. (The term cervicogenic simply means “with regards to the cervical area.”)

This misalignment, in turn, leads to the nerves in the cervical area being irritated which results in headaches. Generally, these headaches manifest in the forehead, the temple, the eyes, or the ears.

Diagnosis

Your Chiropractor will discuss your history of your headaches with you. This will help him or her to understand your specific case more clearly.The chiropractor will also carefully look at your posture to see what underlying factors can be at the root of your problem.

The following diagnostic actions are commonly undertaken:

• Examination of muscles by touch to look for pain or tightness
• Examination of the cervicogenic muscles
• Tests to determine muscle tone
• Determination of mobility or flexibility of neck and cervical bones
• Neurological assessment
• X-rays

Treatment

Once a possible cause has been determined, your chiropractor will advise you on a treatment plan. Your chiropractor will attempt to realign the cervical bones and muscles through various adjustments. These adjustments are generally done with the hands, but the elbows can also be used from time to time. Treatment from your chiropractor can also include:

• Heat to relax muscles
• Cold to reduce inflammation
• Massage to trigger points
• Correction of your “working” posture

Additionally, you might be shown how to do specific stretching exercises to help alleviate the cause of your headaches.

Conclusion

Imagine how your quality of life will increase if you can get rid of those pesky headaches! Imagine cutting your headache expenses by half or more!

The chiropractic approach is able to remove the cause of the problem and not merely treat the symptom. It is a very good idea to consider scheduling a visit if you experience frequent headaches!