Headaches

Headaches Q&A

What are headaches?

Headaches can debilitate you with pressure, tightness, pain, and tension. The pain may be sharp or dull and may last from several minutes or several days. Migraines are severe forms of headaches that are often debilitating. Headaches could present as:

• Dull, aching discomfort
• Sharp or throbbing pain
• Pain on just one side of your head
• All-over head discomfort
• Visual disturbances
• Nausea with migraines

Headache pain ranges in severity from mild to severe. If you struggle with frequent headaches or migraines and want holistic medication-free pain relief, make an appointment with the best chiropractor in Greenwich, CT today.

What are the common causes of headaches?

The cause of headaches isn’t always straightforward. Only 5% of headaches have a deeper physical ailment as a cause and 95% of headaches are considered primary headaches, where the headache itself is the concern. The majority of primary headaches ( tension, cluster, or migraine headaches) are caused by muscle tension in the neck, which can also radiate to the scalp and upper back. Muscle tension in the neck is surprisingly aggravated by patients when at work in the seated position, hunched over a computer, putting pressure on the joints.

Various neuromuscular conditions result in neck pain and headaches or migraines including TMJ (Jaw Pain), tight neck muscles, shoulder tension, rib pain, and mal-position of the skull bones, etc. Other common causes of headaches and migraines include:

• Spine misalignment
• Dehydration
• Poor nutrition - some food and additives
• Stress
• Concussions
• Whiplash injuries
• Poor posture
• Allergies
• Lack of Sleep or Exercise
• Intense physical activity
• Getting overheated
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Certain medications
• Occipital Neuralgia
• Nerve pressure
• High Blood Pressure

Making lifestyle changes and receiving chiropractic care are the best ways to deal with headache pain naturally.

What are the common types of headaches?

Various types of headaches and migraines exist and they have many different causes and symptoms:

Tension Headache

Most comon in adults and teens, these headaches occur when the neck and scalp muscles become tense or contract. This is usually in response to stress, depression, head injury, or anxiety.

Sinus Headache

These headaches are characterized by pain and a sense of fullness in the brow and cheeks, a stuffy nose, dizziness, and increased pain when bendng or lying down. These headaches may feel like an infection (sinusitis) but may also be caused by a migraine.

Cluster Headache

A cluster headache is uncommon and involves intense pain in or around one eye on one side of your head. These attacks can be frequent and last from 15 minutes to up to 3 hours.

Ocular Migraine

These migraines involve episodes of vision loss or impairment in one eye which precede or accompany a headache.

Cervicogenic Headache

A cervicogenic headache often occurs after neck movement and usually causes a reduced range of motion. The headache presents itself as a unilatral pain that starts in the bony or soft tissue in the neck.

How does my doctor find the root cause of headaches?

Dr. Gailes works to find the root cause of headache pain by reviewing your medical history and symptoms. We will perform a thorough evaluation to locate the underlying neuro- musculoskeletal factors that may be contributing to your headaches or migraines. She also completes a physical examination, and may recommend you complete blood tests, MRIs, CT scans, or other imaging procedures to detect or rule out underlying causes of head pain.

When you visit our headache chiropractor, We will then develop an individualized treatment plan that aims to restore your neck and spinal alignment, reduce your tension, and ultimately keep headaches at bay.

What are common treatments for headache pain?

Common treatments available at Indian Harbor Chiropractic for headache pain include:

Lifestyle changes

Adopting healthy habits is the best way to reduce your risk of developing headaches. Eat nutritious whole foods, get regular exercise, drink a lot of water, and avoid excessive caffeine or alcohol. Get plenty of sleep, keep stress levels low, and eliminate migraine triggers.

Chiropractic adjustments

Dr. Gailes offers a variety of innovative chiropractic adjustments to relieve nerve pressure and muscle tension, realign your spine, and reduce headache or migraine pain naturally. Subluxations, which put extra pressure on the neck, can be reversed after adjusting the ligaments and joints of the neck and spine. Adjustments to the upper two cervical vertebrae will significantly reduce the headaches and migraines you experience. Upper Cervical adjustments also decrease high blood pressure 15-25 mmHg, another common cause of headaches.

Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT)

Spinal manipulation is a technique where Dr. Gailes will apply a controlled thrust to a joint of the spine. This motion moves the joint more than it would on its own. SMT is actually a collection of techniques which include massage or mobilization of soft tissue, adjustment of spinal subluxations, trigger point therapy, cross-friction massage, active release therapy, and mechanical traction on an area of the spine or on an extremity. Studies show SMT is extremely effective in treating chronic headaches. SMT was shown to be as effective as drugs in treating the most common chronic headaches in an analysis of nine separate studies involving 700 patients.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

TENS sends electrical pulses through the skin to start your body's own painkillers. The electrical pulses can release endorphins and other substances to stop pain signals in the brain. TENS can reduce pain. Tens also works on muscles and causes muscle contractions by stimulating α-motor neurons. It is highly effective in improving muscle function, strengthening muscles, and improving joint range of motion.

Laser therapy

Dr. Gailes is currently the only chiropractor in Greenwich, CT offering Class IV Laser Therapy. Dr. Gailes uses chiropractic adjustments and laser therapy to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions and speed up recovery times for all types of injuries. Laser therapy will reduce pain by over 50% in three to four treatments and can complement chiropractic adjustments or be used as an independent form of treatment.

Massage

During massage therapy, Dr. Gailes uses manual soft tissue manipulation techniques to reduce muscle tension and stress and relieve nerve pressure and headache pain naturally.

Begin with chiropractic care today

To learn more about the many headache and migraine treatments available at Indian Harbor Chiropractic, call the office or use the online scheduler today.