One of the most common complaints that patients seek treatment for at Liberty Wellness & Chiro is headache. There are three main types of headaches that we typically treat successfully with chiropractic, massage therapy and acupuncture:
- Tension
- Migraine
- Cervicogenic
Tension Headache
Tension headaches generally result from prolonged contraction of the muscles located at the junction between the lower portion of the back of the skull and the vertebrae in the upper neck.
Signs and symptoms can include:
- Dull, aching head pain
- The sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head
- Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles
- Occasionally, loss of appetite
- A tension headache can last from 30 minutes to an entire week. You may experience these headaches only occasionally, or nearly all the time.
- If your headaches occur 15 or more days a month for at least three months, they’re considered chronic.
- If you have headaches that occur fewer than 15 times in a month, your headaches are considered episodic.
- People with frequent episodic headaches are at a higher risk of developing chronic headaches.
Causes/Triggers
- Stress
- Depression and anxiety
- Poor posture
- Working in awkward positions or holding one position for a long time
- Jaw clenching
Migraine Headache
Migraines are brought about by changes in vascular flow, triggered by a variety of factors such as different smells, light, foods, weather, hormonal changes, and stress. These headaches do not always start off as pain. They can begin with nausea or the person may experience visual disturbances called a visual aura.
Signs and symptoms can include:
- Moderate to severe pain, which may be confined to one side of the head or may affect both sides
- Head pain with a pulsating or throbbing quality
- Pain that worsens with physical activity
- Pain that interferes with your regular activities
- Nausea with or without vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- When untreated, a migraine typically lasts from four to 72 hours, but the frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. You may have migraines several times a month or much less frequently.
Causes/Triggers
- Hormonal changes in women
- Foods
- Stress
- Sensory stimuli- Bright lights and sun glare
- Changes in wake-sleep pattern.
- Physical Factors- Intense physical exertion
- Changes in the environment- A change of weather or barometric pressure
- Medications
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic simply means that the headache is caused by referred pain that originates within the bones, muscles, or nerves of the neck.
Signs and symptoms can include:
- Head pain on one side
- Pain in the base of the neck
