How Can Chiropractic Care Help Me Get Rid of These Nagging Headaches?

Funny I should get this question from a patient right in the middle of the holiday season! Stressed? :) In all seriousness, we hope everyone is enjoying their time with friends and family. And we hope you are looking forward to 2013...I know we are, we have some big things going on in the office! Anyway, read below to find out if chiropractic care can help your nagging headaches.

90% of headaches are caused by a segmental joint dysfunction in the 1st two cervical vertebrae. That’s right…headaches are most often a result of the first two bones at the top of your neck functioning improperly. This decreased function leads to decreased nerve function which leads to muscle tightness, which leads to…tension headaches.

“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from Christiansburg, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

The American Chiropractic Association has published some recommendations for those who are troubled by frequent headaches:

• If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
• Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.
• Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.
• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

Doctors of Chiropractic work to relieve headaches in several ways.

1) We adjust the spine to improve spinal function, increase nerve flow and decrease the stress on your system.

2) We offer nutritional counseling and advice to help avoid dehydration and seek out what may be causing headaches from a “chemical trigger” viewpoint.

3) We offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques.

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.

So there you have it…if you are experiencing headaches, whether frequent or not, visiting your chiropractor may be one of the best forms of pain relief! Ibuprofen and Aspirin may relieve your pain as well, but the headache will come back if the problem with the spine’s structure isn’t addressed! For more information on headaches and how chiropractic care can help, feel free to contact our office at (515) 278-1218, or info@vandersluischiropractic.com. And as always, thanks for reading!