Over the last half century, there is a scary trend of increased chronic pain and more specifically chronic headaches and migraines. According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that 47% of the adult population have at least 1 headache within a given year! Even more surprising is that between half and three quarters of the adult population between the ages of 18 and 65 report having a headache within the last year, 10% of which was a migraine, and 7% of which requiring hospitalization. Unfortunately for most, it is not just one incidence of a headache over the year. Most will experience a headache once a month, once a week, or more!
Worse still, 25 million working days a year are lost due to chronic headaches! Surprisingly, many individuals with chronic headache, or migraine related problems, never visit a doctor and rely solely on over-the-counter medication.
Now there are many different variations of headaches, from migraines and tension headaches to medication induced headaches, and diagnosis and proper treatment are never easy. But it is time to come clean with yourself and realize that grabbing for the nearest (insert your pain pill of choice here) is not making you any better. If it did, you wouldn’t have a headache as often as you do!
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Finding a local provider that deals with headaches on a regular basis is your best chance at getting out of pain, and reducing the chance of those headaches ever returning.
The approach taken at Thrive Spine and Sport in Cedar Rapids, is much different than other clinics in the area. Investigation of lifestyle, stress, and diet is taken into consideration, along with examination of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous system to find out the true cause of your pain. Only after examination and a proper diagnosis has been made will treatment begin. Sometimes treatment will include manual therapy to the neck muscles to allow for proper motion and reduction in muscular tension. Other times a specific adjustment to the cervical (neck) vertebrae will be applied to restore proper alignment to the spine and reduce nerve interference. At home exercises may be given for strength and stability or modifications to the diet may also be suggested. With this approach, many patients have been relieved of their headaches.