How Chiropractic Care Helps with Headaches

You’ll be happy to know that bringing down a headache or migraine does not always have to involve popping a pill. Chiropractic care offers a quick drugless alternative to pharmaceutical intervention.

 

Headaches are Common

A majority of people experience headaches occasionally. Hardly will a month pass by without complaining of a headache at least once. The pain felt ranges from a mild ache to severe throbbing pain. Some people even develop nausea.

 

The most common form of headache is tension headache. It causes pain in the head, neck, and scalp. Tension headaches are the result of a combination of stress and strain on the neck or the back. Chiropractic care is designed to help with this kind of pain.

 

Migraines are also common. They cause throbbing, debilitating pain, and nausea. Migraines tend to be chronic because the pain lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days.

 

Chiropractic Care for Headaches

Chiropractic care offers a natural solution to headache pain. The American Chiropractic Association suggests spinal manipulation for headache treatment. But, there are other equally effective treatments.

 

During your consultation, the chiropractor assesses and diagnoses your condition. He or she then chooses the ideal method of intervention.

 

The options available include the following:
 

Spinal Manipulation

The chiropractor uses his hands or a device to apply a specified force to a specified joint along your spine.

 

Joint Mobilization

It is the passive movement of joints to enhance their movement and to reduce pain. When treating headaches, the cervical spine is the point of focus.

 

Flexion-Distraction Therapy

This treatment is performed on a special segmented table. The table shifts upward and downward as the chiropractor manipulates your vertebrae gently. The therapy improves your range of motion and brings down the stiffness in your neck and back. It may also reduce the frequency of headaches.

 

Deep Neck Flexion Exercises

These exercises are the kind that actively moves your muscles and joints. For example, the chiropractor may ask you to lie down, nod your head, and do some chin tucks. The goal is to stretch the deep neck flexor muscles that support the neck to ease any tension or pain. Once the muscles relax, your headache goes away.

 

Behavioral changes may also reduce the intensity and frequency of headaches. The chiropractor may ask you to improve your posture, exercise, or make dietary changes.

 

Chiropractic Care for Migraines

For migraines, the chiropractor may give you a neuromuscular massage. This massage stresses the pain trigger points on the shoulder, neck, back, and head. Massaging these points eases headache pain.

 

The second therapy option is a multidisciplinary care intervention. This treatment option combines relaxation techniques, dietary counseling, physical therapy exercises, and stress management. The combination successfully treats migraines. It also reduces their duration, frequency, and incapacity they cause.

 

Chiropractic Care for Tension Headaches

Tension headaches come about occasionally. They are caused by prolonged muscle tension in the shoulders, neck, and head. Tension headaches disappear after taking pain medication like Tylenol. So far, there are no chiropractic practices that can relieve tension headaches. But, the chiropractor may still modify a treatment to improve chronic tension headaches.

 

Among the possible treatment options is low-load craniocervical mobilization. It involves applying a force gentler than the kind used during spinal manipulation. The chiropractor applies this force to your neck joints, initiating a rhythmic movement of your cervical segments. The chiropractor may also lead you through a lot of stretching.

 

Learn more about the benefits of chiropractic care for headaches, contact Advanced Spinal Care in Charleston, SC at (843) 350-5022.