Headaches and Migraines "Story"

People are often surprised when I tell them a good percentage of my patients are being treated for headaches and migraines. The truth of the matter is that there is often correlation between headaches and neck pain. Misalignments of the vertebrae in the upper neck will often feel more like a headache at the base of the skull. Chiropractic adjustments are very effective at treating these types of conditions.

Another common condition is the forward head posture. When the head sits forward from it's ideal alignment above the shoulders, it stresses the neck muscles that hold your head up. At 1 inch forward, a 10 pound head takes 20 lbs of tension to hold up. At 2 inches forward it becomes 30 lbs. and so on. Often the pain is felt at the base of the skull where these muscles attach. This can also be felt as tension at the temples or around the entire forehead. Chiropractic adjustments can help re-align your spine and head and reduce this abnormal tension.

Migraines are a different story. They often start as a visual disturbance such as spots or tunnel vision, then the pain hits. A true migraine will often be so severe that the patient cannot function, cannot work or think, and usually ends up in a dark room for much of the day due to light sensitivity. Nausea and vomitting is not uncommon. If you ask a doctor what causes a migraine, you usually get something about dilation of the blood vessels in the head creating pressure and pain. This is a "what" and not a "why".

Why migraines occur is not yet fully understood, but figuring out and reducing the triggers is the quickest way to reduce their occurence and severity. The more common trigers are certain foods including chocolate and wine. In women, hormonal imbalances are often triggers during certain phases of their menstrual cycle. Physical stress and/or emotional stress can also trigger a migraine. Stress to the neck as described earlier is often a big factor. Once these triggers are found and delt with, reduction of symptoms by 50% or more is often seen.

As you can see, all of these factors can contribute to the patients' condition to various degrees. One can have a food trigger, as well as a hormonal, and seasonal allergy trigger. When a patient only gets an adjustment, without a consultation and evaluation, they are being treated like a machine that needs to be fixed. They are not being treated like a person with a multifaceted condition. Make sure your chiropractor is a doctor and not just a "mechanic".

So, what is your headache "story"?