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Thousands of people suffer from headaches daily. Most often medications only offer temporary relief from the pain, just to have it return at a later time, often with a vengeance. We often tend to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. Muscle imbalance, spinal misalignments, stress, or hormonal changes can often be the culprits. If these particular problems are not addressed, the problem will keep recurring.
Headache can broadly be classified into three categories: 1. Metabolic (or hormonal) headaches, 2. Migraine (or vascular) headaches and 3. Tension (or muscle contraction) headaches.
Metabolic headaches are usually due to a chemical imbalance. The body reacts by either contracting the blood vessels going to the brain or scalp or by causing the muscles at the temples and base of your head and neck to contract. They are usually dull, achy and throbbing.
Migraine headaches are usually caused by a lack of oxygen to certain parts of your brain or muscles in your head or neck. These headaches are usually sharp and throbbing and can be in your eye, involve one side of your head, or sometimes the head in its entirety. A "trigger" like stress, food, light, etc. brings about the headache, causing the blood vessels to contract, allowing less blood and oxygen to pass-through to vital structures. This is what causes the symptoms that often precede a migraine headache (visual changes, nausea, light sensitivity). The brain is very sensitive to oxygen levels and will signal the blood vessels in the area to dilate. This results in a "stretching" of the artery which leads to the "throbbing" pain that you feel with every heartbeat of a vascular headache. As your heart pumps blood through the already full vessel, it is stretched further causing the throbbing associated with the headache.
Tension or muscle contraction headaches are due to neck or head muscle over contraction and over use, causing pain, just like if you exercise too vigorously. These tight muscles can pull on the individual vertebrae of the spine, often causing misalignment that in turn can cause more muscle contraction, or vascular changes, often creating a vicious cycle. When a muscle contracts for a long period of time, lactic acid forms (the same stuff which is formed in your legs when skiing bumps for entire day). Lactic acid can irritate the nerves and muscles in the area causing further contraction and pain. These headaches usually begin at the base of the skull and neck and travel up and over your head.
So what can you do for your headaches? Treatment options abound and will depend upon the type of headache that you have. Metabolic headaches are best managed with diet, vitamins and herbs, acupuncture and sometimes medications. Migraine headaches can be helped by modalities that reduce the size of the blood vessels. Some of these include, spinal manipulation, exercise, dietary changes (avoiding food triggers) and acupuncture. Vasocontrictive medications can also be helpful if you don't catch it in time. Remember you must address the cause (what's causing the change in the blood vessel diameter?) rather than the symptoms.
Muscle contraction headaches are best treated with specific exercise, spinal manipulation, soft tissue work like massage, and a good diet. Muscle imbalances (which can be due to many problems) must be addressed and corrected if the headaches are going to go away and stay away. Spending as little as five minutes today stretching in exercising can make a world of difference.
If you are having headaches, have them evaluated by your healthcare provider, whether that is a chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath or medical doctor. Make sure they're treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.
The Chiropractors of Summit County have great success helping people to get to the cause of their headaches and offer spinal manipulations and soft tissue work, preventative exercises, postural education, dietary advice and sometimes acupuncture. Next time you have a headache - or better yet, before you have a headache - give one of us a call.
This edition of Rocky Mountain Remedies brought to you by the Summit County Chiropractic Association.
Headache can broadly be classified into three categories: 1. Metabolic (or hormonal) headaches, 2. Migraine (or vascular) headaches and 3. Tension (or muscle contraction) headaches.
Metabolic headaches are usually due to a chemical imbalance. The body reacts by either contracting the blood vessels going to the brain or scalp or by causing the muscles at the temples and base of your head and neck to contract. They are usually dull, achy and throbbing.
Migraine headaches are usually caused by a lack of oxygen to certain parts of your brain or muscles in your head or neck. These headaches are usually sharp and throbbing and can be in your eye, involve one side of your head, or sometimes the head in its entirety. A "trigger" like stress, food, light, etc. brings about the headache, causing the blood vessels to contract, allowing less blood and oxygen to pass-through to vital structures. This is what causes the symptoms that often precede a migraine headache (visual changes, nausea, light sensitivity). The brain is very sensitive to oxygen levels and will signal the blood vessels in the area to dilate. This results in a "stretching" of the artery which leads to the "throbbing" pain that you feel with every heartbeat of a vascular headache. As your heart pumps blood through the already full vessel, it is stretched further causing the throbbing associated with the headache.
Tension or muscle contraction headaches are due to neck or head muscle over contraction and over use, causing pain, just like if you exercise too vigorously. These tight muscles can pull on the individual vertebrae of the spine, often causing misalignment that in turn can cause more muscle contraction, or vascular changes, often creating a vicious cycle. When a muscle contracts for a long period of time, lactic acid forms (the same stuff which is formed in your legs when skiing bumps for entire day). Lactic acid can irritate the nerves and muscles in the area causing further contraction and pain. These headaches usually begin at the base of the skull and neck and travel up and over your head.
So what can you do for your headaches? Treatment options abound and will depend upon the type of headache that you have. Metabolic headaches are best managed with diet, vitamins and herbs, acupuncture and sometimes medications. Migraine headaches can be helped by modalities that reduce the size of the blood vessels. Some of these include, spinal manipulation, exercise, dietary changes (avoiding food triggers) and acupuncture. Vasocontrictive medications can also be helpful if you don't catch it in time. Remember you must address the cause (what's causing the change in the blood vessel diameter?) rather than the symptoms.
Muscle contraction headaches are best treated with specific exercise, spinal manipulation, soft tissue work like massage, and a good diet. Muscle imbalances (which can be due to many problems) must be addressed and corrected if the headaches are going to go away and stay away. Spending as little as five minutes today stretching in exercising can make a world of difference.
If you are having headaches, have them evaluated by your healthcare provider, whether that is a chiropractor, acupuncturist, naturopath or medical doctor. Make sure they're treating the cause of the problem rather than the symptoms.
The Chiropractors of Summit County have great success helping people to get to the cause of their headaches and offer spinal manipulations and soft tissue work, preventative exercises, postural education, dietary advice and sometimes acupuncture. Next time you have a headache - or better yet, before you have a headache - give one of us a call.
This edition of Rocky Mountain Remedies brought to you by the Summit County Chiropractic Association.
