When headaches come for a visit, they are not welcome company. They often overstay their welcome. They may stay twenty minutes and go away or steal many days at a time from our life.
What Type of Headache Do You Have?
To know how to properly handle a headache, you need to be informed as to which one of the two main types you are suffering from. What are these kinds of headaches?
- Tension headache: These make up 10-65% of all headaches and last 30 minutes or up to 7 days. Symptoms include nausea and/or vomiting with a feeling of pressure and an achy kind of head pain. One may experience sensitivity to sound or light.
- Cervicogenic headache: These make up 10-20% of all headaches. They are located on one side of the head. Range of motion in the neck may be reduced. The headache is triggered by certain neck movements and is often accompanied by same-sided shoulder or arm pain.
What Can You Do About Your Headache?
If you see your medical doctor, he will probably recommend a conventional treatment, such as invasive surgery or heavy grade pharmaceuticals. There are even a number of home remedies you can try. Success varies from person to person and is limited. There seems to be a trend developing in healthcare that people are looking for a more natural approach to treating their headaches.
One thing that has been discovered to be highly effective in improving the frequency and symptoms of headaches is chiropractic care. After just one chiropractic adjustment, 233 patients reported a definite improvement. A theory as to why this happens is that there is a connection between a small muscle in the middle of the bones in the upper neck and headaches. There is a very small muscle, called the rectus capitis posterior minor, that connects to the C1, or Atlas, vertebra and the protective sheath around the spinal cord. A misalignment in this upper area of the neck can be related to headaches.
Upper cervical chiropractors, such as Dr. Ian Bulow of Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, are specifically trained correcting misalignments that happen in the upper neck. They use advanced tools and testing to determine whether or not a misalignment exists. They can find the exact location and the angle at which it occurs through precise x-rays. If an adjustment is needed, it is tailored just for your particular problem. After correcting the problem and keeping it properly maintained, symptoms of headaches are likely to resolve. Call Dr. Bulow today to schedule your assessment.
References:
- Humphreys BK, Vernon H. “Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain in Adults Treated by Manual Therapy: A Systematic Review of Change Scores in Randomized Controlled Trials of a Single Session.” The Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy 16.2 (2008):E42-52.
- Alix, ME, Bates DK. “A Proposed Etiology of Cervicogenic Headache: The Neurophysiologic Basis and Anatomic Relationship Between the Dura Mater and the Rectus Posterior Capitis Minor Muscle.” Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 22.8 (1999): 534-39.
