Headaches and migraines are often linked to muscle tension, poor posture, and spinal misalignment, especially in the neck. Chiropractic care focuses on improving spinal function to help reduce headache frequency and intensity.

What is a Headache and What is a Migraine?

Headaches are simply any pain in the head. Migraines are a subtype of headaches on one side of the head. Headaches in general, are experienced by 47% of the world population and have a wide range of symptoms depending on the type of headache. These symptoms can last anything between minutes to multiple days and be very debilitating.

Common Symptoms

• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Tension headaches
• Migraines
• Neck stiffness

What Causes Headaches?

The causes of a headache can range from dehydration to concussion, and even infection. Identifying the cause of the headaches, allows for the right treatment to take place.

According to Haldemar (2001), 15-20% of all headaches are cervicogenic disorders. This means, that in about 20% of headache a dysfunction in the neck is the cause for them.

What Are Types of Headaches

There are three main types of headaches:

Tension

Tension headaches are the most common type. Stress, eyestrain or muscle contractions, are typically the cause of them. The pain can vary between individuals. Most patients experiense neck pain or discomfort, forehead, or even shoulder muscles tension.

Cluster

Cluster headaches often occur in a series and can be both excruciatingly painful as well as disabling. The exact cause is still unknown but experts believe it is related to abnormal activity in the brain’s neurologic system. They are rear in occurance but men experience these 3 times more frequently than females.

Migraine

Lastly, migraine headaches are another common type that can cause moderate to severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation on one side of the head. Migraine symptoms can include sensitivity to light or sound, nausea and vomiting. Though the exact cause varies from person to person, triggers often include stress, lack of sleep, food sensitivities and more.

Migraine auras are experienced by a lot of patients. Visual and auditory are the most common auras that people experience, and they typically come on shortly before the migraine.

No matter which type of headache you experience, it is important to seek out professional medical care if your headaches become frequent occurrences.

How Chiropractic Care Helps Headaches

Chiropractic care may help by:

• Reducing muscle tension
• Improving neck mobility
• Supporting nervous system function

Headaches are frequently connected to TMJ, jaw and neck pain but also massages can help headaches.

Frequently Asked Questions about Headaches and Migraines

REFERENCES

Haldeman, S., & Dagenais, S. (2001). Cervicogenic headaches: a critical review. The spine journal, 1(1), 31-46.

Page, P. (2011). Cervicogenic headaches: an evidence-led approach to clinical management. International journal of sports physical therapy, 6(3), 254.

Biondi, David M.. “Cervicogenic Headache: A Review of Diagnostic and Treatment Strategies” Journal of Osteopathic Medicine, vol. 105, no. s4, 2005, pp. 16-22.