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Natural Awakenings Space & Treasure Coast Florida

Suffering from Headaches?

Apr 06, 2011 02:15AM ● By Dr. Daniel Weber

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.

What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away?

New research shows that spinal manipulation, the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic, may be an effective treatment option for headaches.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence Based Practice Center in Durham, NC found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer lasting relief of tension-type headache than commonly prescribed medication.

Also a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers

But to get to the bottom of the problem, you first need to find out what is causing your pain. Headaches have many causes or "triggers." These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, light, stress, etc.) and /or behavioral factors (insomnia, blood sugar changes, excessive exercise, etc.).

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease; the headache itself is the primary concern.

The overwhelming majority of primary headaches are associated with increased muscle tension in the neck. Today, more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck and upper back which can lead to headaches. Also the increased and sustained use of over – the counter (OTC) pain medications may cause a syndrome known as rebound headaches which can lead to a cycle of even longer lasting headaches.

What Can You Do?

  • If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
  • Engage in regular exercise
  • Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.
  • How Doctors of Chiropractic can Help

Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways – not just back pain. They know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of their body, and they can take steps to relieve those problems such as:

  1. Perform chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate stress on your system.
  2. Provide nutritional advice, recommend a change in diet and avoidance of triggers such as caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and chocolate.
  3. Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work posture), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
     

If your headache is symptomatic of a health problem that needs the care of another discipline, your doctor of chiropractic will refer you to an appropriate specialist.

Talk to your chiropractor about other ways to improve your lifestyle. Doctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed to examine and treat the entire body with specific emphasis on the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. They can also help people lead healthier lives by focusing on wellness prevention.

Dr. Daniel Weber owns the Joint… a chiropractic place, located at 3016 Lake Washington Road in Melbourne. Each visit is only $20, and no appointment is necessary. For more information, call 321-254-2828 or visit www.thejoint.com.