Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches & Migraines
In the UK two-thirds of adult males and over 80% of females will be affected by tension-type headaches, with 1 adult in 20 having a headache every day. Nearly 200,000 people in the UK experience migraines every day (World Health Organisation, 2004).
A headache is a pain located anywhere in the head, which can also extend down into the neck and jaw. There are many different causes of headaches, each presenting with their own set of symptoms. There are over 200 types of headache, ranging from harmless to very serious. Your Chiropractor will perform a full neurological screening and can determine the cause of your headache.
Cause
There are many different causes for headaches & migraines, these can include;
- Stress
- Tiredness
- Bright Light
- Tight Neck Muscles
- Head Trauma
- Smoking
- Drugs (both prescription and non-prescription)
- Eye Strain
- Diabetes
- Dehydration
- Infection
- High Blood Pressure
- Neoplasm
Types
There are over 200 different types of headaches, which are split up into 2 main groups: primary and secondary.
Primary headaches are the most common type of headache and include;
- Tension Headaches – radiating from muscles in the back and neck
- Migraines – disabling headaches lasting between 3hrs and 3days
- Cluster Headaches – severe pain which happens in barrages of varying intensity
- Trigeminal Neuralgia – shooting face pain
- Dehydration – lack of fluid intake
Secondary headaches are less common, but include a much wider variety of types and causes including;
- Cervicogenic Headache – pain arising from the neck muscles
- Paradoxical Headache – taking too many pain killers, causing a worse headache
- Thunderclap – due to a bleed on the brain which requires immediate medical attention
- Meningitis headache – accompanied with a stiff neck
- Encephalitis – due to inflammation of the brain due to a viral infection
- Raised Intracranial Pressure – due to a lesion or tumor
- Hypertension – high blood pressure
Symptoms
- Head Pain
- Neck Pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Eye Pain
Treatment
The type of treatment suitable for headaches primarily depends on the type of headache you have. Keeping a headache diary is useful to help work out what type of treatment is most appropriate for you. The headache diary should include dates, duration, intensity and anything that might be related to a headache, such as what you have drunk and eaten over the day, medications, weather conditions and your daily activities.
If you experience the worst headache you could imagine, or you have a headache which has lasted more than 3 days, you should seek immediate medical attention.
Every day people visit Chiropractors with headaches and migraines and evidence shows that Chiropractic is effective at treating migraines and cervicogenic headache. During your initial consultation, the Chiropractor will assess your body, complete a medical and symptom history, allowing them to provide a working diagnosis. There may be occasions where Chiropractic is not the right solution for you, and in this event we will refer you to the correct health practitioner (e.g. General Practitioner).
Chiropractic care can include;
- Chiropractic Adjustments
- Trigger Avoidance Mechanisms
Not sure whether Chiropractic is the right option for you?
If you’re unsure whether Chiropractic treatment is the right option for you, please come in for a new patient appointment where we can discuss the reason for your visit, perform a brief examination and explain how we may be able to help. To book this consultation please contact the clinic on 01903 734373, or click below to book online.
simply click the link below and check availability.