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More often these days, our clients are coming to us with complaints about headaches. Yes, it’s true! Chiropractic treatments have been proven as effective against many common types of head pain, including migraines, tension-type headaches and cervicogenic headaches (those caused by functional issues with the neck).
Chiropractic techniques for headache relief typically focus on your neck muscles and joints. We use gentle spinal adjustments, spinal manipulative therapy and other techniques to relieve pain and reduce the frequency of your headaches.
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Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. You’ve had one in the past—we all have. They usually form in the temples and back of the head and can be triggered by a number of factors, such as poor posture, stress, anxiety, whiplash or another injury, eye strain or TMJ dysfunction.
Our clients have found chiropractic treatment for tension headaches to be extremely effective as it addresses muscle tightness, spinal restrictions, and misalignment. Tension headaches in the back of the head are particularly responsive to chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue techniques. This is because much of the discomfort originates in your neck muscles and nerves. We focus on the areas causing you pain and provide spinal adjustments, focused massage and education on stretching techniques.
Migraines are chronic and severe. They can easily last over four hours and often come with sensitivity to light (known as photophobia) or sound (phonophobia). While the triggers of migraine headaches can vary, studies (and our clients’ feedback!) show that chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue therapy (such as myofascial release) help relieve migraine headache pain and make your headaches less frequent and less intense.
Cervicogenic headaches usually stem from the neck, starting at the base of the skull and spreading to the front of the head. This can make it difficult to pinpoint the source of the pain, which can be triggered by neck movement and is usually on one side of the head. Luckily, spinal manipulation is possibly the most effective treatment for this type of headache. Follow-up appointments also reduce their intensity and frequency.
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We can assess, diagnose and manage your headache concerns. However, in some cases, referral and co-management may be the best options. We manage your headache pain at the source—it’s the best way to relieve headaches that last longer than they should or those that come back often, so you can lead a better, pain-free life.