Headaches and Chiropractic Care

Statistics show that roughly 8 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches.  Based on this stat, if you suffer from headaches then you’re not alone! For some these headaches are occasional, for some its frequent, and for others it may be chronic.  Headaches may be dull and achy, throbbing, some even debilitating and accompanied by nausea.  However they present themselves, what do you do if you’re suffering from them?  Do you lie down, do you sleep, ignore it and carry on, or do you pop a pill?  There is a better alternative.

The causes of headaches are many things such as food, stress, noise, light, lack of sleep, dehydration, and chemical and hormonal changes. Whatever their cause recent studies show that spinal adjustments of the neck provided by doctors of Chiropractic may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and those that seem to originate in the neck.

What can Chiropractic do for you? 

Chiropractors are trained extensively on ways to naturally help the overall function of your body that goes beyond just neck pain and back pain.  They can help alleviate the headaches through a series of specific Chiropractic adjustments to the neck.  These adjustments will also help release the stress and tension in the joints and muscles of the neck and upper back/shoulder area  helping with the headaches.  Chiropractors can also show you home exercises, proper posture, proper work posture, stretching and relaxation techniques to help lessen the frequency of those headaches.

What can you do to help yourself?

If you have a “desk” job where you’re in front of the computer most of the day reading, typing, sewing etc. then try to take a break from what you’re doing for 10 minutes every hour to an hour and half.  During this break stretch your head and neck slowly and take your neck through a comfortable range of motion at least once.

Stay active through low impact exercises like yoga, walking and low-impact aerobics such as an Elliptical trainer or stationary bike.

Maintain a balanced diet, drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, get plenty of sleep, and add a good B complex vitamins to your daily routine.

The key to true healthcare and the answer to keeping frequent headaches away is maintenance and prevention.  Receiving routine Chiropractic adjustments along with the above pointers may help prevent the re occurrence of headaches. Next time you are suffering from a headache, consider natural safe and effective Chiropractic care as an alternative to the harmful drugs and pain medications.