Frequent Headache Sufferers
Table of Contents
Although there are similarities between migraine headaches and tension headaches, there are differences. We’ll talk about those differences in this blog. The main difference is the amount of pain experienced during those two types of pain in your head. Here is a list of those differences.
Migraine Headaches vs Tension Headaches
- The pain level of migraine headaches is much higher and can even lead to nausea
- Migraines are a neurological disorder, not headaches, but they often lead to pain in one’s head
- Migraine headaches can be triggered by sensitivity to light or sound
- Aura, or various symptoms like nausea, can be a precursor to the migraine headache
Head Pain is just a Symptom
Though, it may not always be to easy to tell, since a person who suffers from migraines may not always experience all of these symptoms. The good news is that your doctor can determine what kind of headache you suffer from.
Of course, if you suffer from tension or any other kind of headache, and you entrust your care to a regular physician, there is a chance they may just prescribe medication to you. The medical community at large isn’t sure of the cause of migraine headaches, so they’ll often prescribe these same medications.
Now, the funny thing is that since head pain is only one possible symptom of a migraine, treating it with headache medication is much like treating a gunshot wound with a bandage and saying, “Well, there’s bleeding, so a bandage should be enough.” Medication won’t get to the root cause of a tension headache or a migraine.
Your Spine and Your Head Pain
Now, the good news is that there is a natural alternative to taking medication, and that’s upper cervical chiropractic. The top two vertebrae in your spine, also called your upper cervical spine, are positioned at the base of your brainstem.
When those two bones are out of alignment by only ¼ of a millimeter, it can cause all sorts of problems through your body. The reason for that is that slight of a misalignment in those two vertebrae places pressure on the brainstem that cuts off the brain’s ability to communicate with the body via cerebrospinal fluid, blood and nerve flow, and more.
Among the various negative effects that misalignment can cause migraine and tension headaches may arise. An upper cervical chiropractor can examine your neck to see if there are any misalignments in your upper neck vertebrae that may be the underlying cause of that pain in your head.
