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The headache, commonly known as “headache” is one of the main reasons for consultation in both Primary Care and Neurology Services: headache accounts for 25% of consultations made to Spanish neurologists.
It is important not to normalize the headache, since a headache is a warning sign that something is unbalanced in our body and requires our attention.
Most episodes of common headaches are not serious and can be treated on their own. However, being aware of the characteristics of different types of headaches can help determine if these headaches are something that a visit to the chiropractor could greatly help with.
In this article, you will learn the following information about headaches:
- Tension headache
- Migraine
- Differences between tension headache and migraine
- How can chiropractic help you?
There are several types of headaches, in this article we will briefly review two of them: tension headache and migraine.
This is the most common type of headache. Poor postural hygiene, accidents, whiplash-type injuries, a problem in the jaw joint, and stress are some of the factors that can cause the loss of the normal curvature of the cervical spine.
The muscles of the head, in order to maintain a normal position, work excessively, generating strong tension in the cervical area and skull, and as a result, they can cause headaches.
Also, by squeezing the jaw too much, a displacement of the vertebrae can occur, which can affect the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and produce sustained tension in the muscles, and a headache is likely to occur as a result.
The symptoms most commonly are:
- Dull headache, perceived as pressure around the head, forehead and/or nape of the neck, which sometimes extends to the nape of the neck, shoulders and neck.
- Pain can be: isolated or chronic
- They can last from about 30 minutes to, in extreme cases, seven days
Chiropractic adjustments combined with postural reeducation and stretching can be an effective solution for tension headaches.
Although its cause is unknown, it is assumed that the pain that occurs is due to the consequence of a constriction of the blood vessels in the head, with the subsequent dilation of these being what produces the pain.
It is believed that There are different circumstances that cause migraines such as hormonal changes, changes in weather, some foods, lack of sleep, stress., etc.
The symptoms most commonly are:
- Throbbing or throbbing pain, usually located on one side of the head, but can be on both sides.
- The pain begins suddenly and may be preceded or accompanied by: nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound.
- Some people experience an aura, which may include visual disturbances such as flashes of light or blind spots. Or other alterations such as tingling on one side of the face, arm or leg, or difficulty speaking.
- They can last from 6 hours to 2 days.
Migraines can have a huge impact on the life of the affected person, which is why it is important to identify the specific triggers in each person.
The chiropractic can help reduce the intensity and frequency of migraines without the need for medication.
In the tension headache, pain is perceived as a sensation of general pressure in the head, which is not localized to any point.
However, in an attack of migraine the pains are stabbing and located on one side of the head. Furthermore, they are perceived in the form of a heartbeat. In migraine, the pain is more intense, and is preceded by signs that warn that an attack is about to occur, such as spots in the field of vision, blurred vision, etc.
The chiropractor, after performing a complete examination, will perform very specific spinal adjustments, focusing especially on the upper cervical spine to return it to its correct curvature and eliminate pressure on pinched nerves.
In addition, correcting cervical misalignment will help improve the functioning of the nervous system, which is responsible for vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood flow to the head, and, therefore, tension headaches and migraines will improve.
Jointly, part of the process is to find the lifestyle factors that may be triggering and/or promoting the pain. For this reason, your chiropractor will also advise you on your postural hygiene to promote your recovery process.
In Spain, if you are looking for a chiropractor, verify that they are a member of the Asociación Española de Quiropráctica(AEQ), which brings together exclusively Chiropractic graduates with a university degree issued by one of the Chiropractic universities recognized by the European Council of Chiropractic Education.
