Headaches and Migraine Relief
The World Health Authority estimates that one in twenty people suffer headache pain every day or every other day. In addition, there are numerous concerns about the addictive properties and side effects of many painkillers and medications – so it is not surprising that many people are looking for a better alternative.
Doctor of Chiropractic, Daniel Chatfield sees many patients who have been suffering from headaches and migraine. Chiropractic treatment can be extremely effective in the treatment of headaches arising from a problem in the neck and in the prevention of migraines. The holistic care, including advice on effective stress management can also be hugely beneficial where stress is a major component.
A very thorough initial assessment will enable patients to leave the clinic with a good understanding of the cause of their symptoms and, if Chiropractic care is appropriate, an agreed (and entirely drug-free) treatment plan can begin. Please call us today on 9303 9952 (Roxburgh Park) or 9746 3977 (Sunbury) and find out how Chiropractic can help you.
Common Types of Headache
Tension headaches that can be brought on by stress and which manifest as a tightening or feeling of pressure around the head. This type of headache can cause feelings of nausea and affect the ability to concentrate and cause mood swings. The World Health Organization reports that tension headaches affect a staggering 7 out of 10 men and 8 out of 10 women in developed countries. Tension headache can also be a result of poor posture, for example when bending forward over a computer keyboard for long periods.
Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ) or problems with the jaw; TMJ related headaches can also be brought on by stress where a patient is clenching or grinding their teeth – as they may be doing this during sleep, they may not even be aware of it. This type of headache is sometimes caused by a misalignment of the jaw or an injury to the face.
Cervicogenic headaches actually begin in the neck and shoulders, not the head. The symptoms of this type of headache can affect the whole head but often, only one side is affected with pain seeming to originate behind one eyeball. Often, pain may worsen on moving the neck and can be so severe that the patient feels nauseous or is actually sick. However, unlike migraine headaches there are no visual disturbances or neurological symptoms.
Cluster Headaches are less common and last for a shorter time than migraines but sufferers report the pain as being a very severe burning or stabbing. The symptoms often only affect one side of the head, most commonly around the right eye or temple with nasal congestion on the affected side and watering of the affected eye.
Migraine Headaches usually affect one side of the head with visual disturbances, sensitivity to light and/or sound, nausea, vomiting and a pain that throbs or pulsates. Often the pain and other symptoms are very severe and debilitating.
Chiropractic Care Tailored to Your Headache Type
The type of headache pain you are suffering will decide the course and method of the Chiropractic treatment you need. Gentle spinal adjustments and chiropractic techniques, usually in the upper cervical region are used for all spinal-related headache pain. Where the TMJ is involved, causing tension-related headache, additional advice on stress management may be appropriate.
In the case of migraine headaches, there may be other factors to consider such as hormone balance and diet, (as certain foods and ingested chemicals can be migraine triggers).
With over 120 different types of headache identified by Medical Science, you will be reassured to know that almost all the common causes of headache pain are neurological or biomechanical in origin. If your Chiropractor identifies a condition not suitable for Chiropractic care, a referral to the appropriate healthcare specialist would be recommended. So, please call us today on 9303 9952 (Roxburgh Park) or 9746 3977 (Sunbury) and find out how Chiropractic can help your headache or migraine problems.