Don’t let your headaches disrupt your life; chiropractic is a natural, effective way to treat headaches without the need for pain medication.
How Chiropractic Care Treats Headaches
Headaches come in many kinds and severities, each offering its own set of complications. Even minor headaches can ignite stress, often leading to a more intense one. Understanding why you get headaches can help you properly treat them and promote less frequent and less painful occurrences.
Chiropractic services offer safe, effective solutions to headaches, providing a comprehensive look at the whole body to determine imbalances that strain the spine and soft tissues. For those who suffer from chronic headaches, the end goal is to find fast, long-lasting relief. Working with a chiropractor may be all you need to get the care you’re yearning for.
This post goes over:
Types of headaches
Headache symptoms
Natural at-home headache treatments
Chiropractic care to end headaches
And more
Let’s get to it…
The 3 Most Common Types of Headaches
There are numerous kinds of headaches, and their triggers, duration, and symptoms all differ.
Tension Headaches
The most common kind of headache is tension headaches, affecting two out of every three American adults at some point. In most cases, these headaches are bearable, and those who get them can work, exercise, and even socialize should they need to.
Tension headaches occur due to tensing neck muscles.
Duration: Usually around 30 minutes, but in unusual cases can last up to a week
Triggers include:
Mental stress, depression, anxiety
Head injury
Neck injury
Lack of sleep
Poor posture
Symptoms include:
Dull, aching pain on both sides of the head that may be aligned with muscle pain
Fever
Stiff neck
Sore shoulders
Double vision
Weakness or numbness
Tension in the face, neck, and shoulders
Migraine Headaches
Migraines can range from moderate to debilitating and are often accompanied by other physical symptoms. These headaches are considered more serious and can make everyday activities impossible to complete.
Migraine headaches occur due to affected nerve signals and blood vessels in the brain.
Duration: Usually four to 72 hours
Triggers include:
Stress and anxiety
Lack of sleep
Food or alcohol consumption
Sensory overload
Hormonal changes
Symptoms include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
Throbbing pain in one area
Face and neck pain
Dizziness
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches come in waves or clusters and are incredibly painful. These headaches aren’t as common as the others, and little is known about why they occur; however, they are substantial and can make it impossible to go about your daily routine.
Duration: Several pain episodes occur over weeks or months, lasting between 15 minutes and three hours each time.
Triggers include:
Physical exertion
Alcohol, nicotine, or illicit substance abuse
Bright light
High elevation
Excessive heat
Symptoms include:
Severe pain on one side of the head, around the eye or temple
Radiating pain from the eye into the face, head, or neck
Burning or piercing sensations
Watering and red, irritated eyes
Runny nose
Drooping eyelid
Natural At-Home Remedies for Headaches
Headaches happen to everyone, and there’s no way to end them for good; however, you may be able to control them without using pain medication that may dilute the pain but won’t heal the injury.
At-home headache solutions that may help include:
Rest in a dark, quiet room
Remove yourself from stressful situations
Apply ice to the neck or head
Massage the scalp, neck, and temples
Eat (don’t skip meals)
Drink water
If you regularly experience headaches, it's a good idea to consult a chiropractor to determine the cause and find a long-lasting solution.
Chiropractic to Reduce Headache Pain and Frequency in Boulder
Chiropractic solutions are a natural, non-invasive way to help end headaches. At our Boulder chiropractic clinic, we only provide services that ensure the body is fully functioning and balanced, but we’ll also give guidance that supports a healthy lifestyle.
Chiropractic lifestyle guidance that can minimize headaches includes:
Postural support
Workstation setup and ergonomic insight
Correct exercise and stretching guidance based on individual needs
Joint and soft tissue support
Proper movement patterns
Lifting techniques
Chiropractic can also reduce mental stress by promoting relaxation and comfort, which can help keep headaches at bay.
By addressing structural problems with the spine and soft tissues in the neck, a treatment plan can be defined based on the needs of the patient.
Common chiropractic treatments to reduce headaches include:
Soft tissue therapies
Corrective exercise
Several of these modalities, along with complementary lifestyle guidance and take-home exercises, may be combined to get you faster results. We’ve seen firsthand how relieving muscle tension, misalignment, and stress can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches.
If you’re up for more comfort, we’re ready to help you get there. Contact our Boulder sports chiropractor today; let’s get you living actively starting now.