The short answer to that question is yes! But you are probably reading this because you would like more information than just that. There are actually many types of headaches, each with its own unique set of causes, but most can be helped by chiropractic care. This post will briefly describe some of the most common types of headaches and ways that chiropractic can help the body and alleviate headaches.
Types of Headaches
You may be surprised, but there are actually over a hundred different types of diagnosable headaches. However, there are several major ‘types’ of headaches many of us have heard of and may be familiar with. Some of the major types of headache include migraine, cluster headache, and tension headache. There are also several other types of headache that can be related to certain activities, vision problems, or taking in certain substances. Headaches can also be caused by other diseases.
Migraine
Migraine may be one of the most infamous types of headaches. Typically, a migraine is on one side of the head in the temple area or behind the eyes. The pain can be moderate to severe and often feels like a throbbing or pulsating pain. A migraine can affect your daily activities and even cause nausea or vomiting. People experiencing migraines tend to be sensitive to lights and sounds. Some migraine sufferers may experience visual disturbances known as ‘aura’ before the migraine sets in.
There are many factors that can contribute to triggering a migraine, including sleep patterns, what you eat, and even stress. The pain from a migraine is thought to be caused by swelling of the blood vessels on the surface of the brain that refers pain to areas of the head. You can learn more about migraines at the National Headache Foundation.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are similar to migraines but a less common headache type. Cluster headaches are also caused by swelling of the blood vessels on the surface of the brain that refers pain to the head but is characterized by having attacks that come in clusters. They occur in regular intervals. There may be several headaches that occur every day for weeks to months and then none for several months or even years. The pain is almost always on one side of the head and is moderate to severe. The pain is on the same side during a cluster but may be on the opposite side when a new cluster of headaches begin. The pain is usually behind the eye and can cause tearing in the eye and nasal drainage on the affected side. Cluster headaches are not associated with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. More about cluster headaches.
Tension headache
Tension headaches are the most common form of headache. Tension headaches are often felt as a dull ache around the head. It is sometimes described as feeling like a band of tightness around the head or “vice-like” and is not pulsating in nature. The pain intensity tends to be less intense than a migraine or cluster headache, but in some cases can still be severe. Tension headaches are caused by tight muscles in the head or neck that can pull on the head or put pressure on the structures of the head leading to pain.
Chiropractic and Headaches
Chiropractic has helped many suffering from headaches. Many think of chiropractors as being bone or spine doctors but actually chiropractic has more to do with the nervous system. When the bones of the spine are misaligned or not moving properly, it interferes with information sent through the nerves entering and leaving the spinal canal. Chiropractors look for these areas of misalignment and help correct them with adjustments to allow the nerves to function at their best and the body to heal itself. This is how chiropractic in general can affect headaches but here are a few more specific ways chiropractic can affect headaches.
Chiropractic and Blood Vessels
The nervous system controls how wide or narrow the blood vessels are throughout the body. Both migraine and cluster headaches are a vascular type of headache. They are thought to be caused by nerves releasing chemicals that irritate the blood vessels of the brain. Another possible cause, especially of the cluster headache, may be related to the nerves that control the blood vessels in the brain not functioning correctly. The nerves that control the blood vessels in the head come from the spinal cord in the upper back area and run close along the bones in the neck and then up into the head.
It is possible that misalignments in the upper back or neck can affect these nerves. Chiropractic has been shown to have an effect on the blood vessels and blood pressure. It is likely that dysfunction of the nerves going into the head has an effect on migraines and cluster headaches and this may be how chiropractic care helps these headache sufferers.
Chiropractic and Tension Headaches
Tight muscles go along with misalignments or improper movements of the spine. Poor posture can also lead to muscles getting overworked and tight in the back and neck contributing to tension headaches. Chiropractic adjustments help to relax the tight muscles due to misalignments, and regular chiropractic care can help to retrain muscles and correct posture so that tension headaches are less likely to occur.
There is another possible cause of headaches that chiropractic can help with. The pain receptors from the joints in the upper neck go to the same area in the brain as pain receptors for the face and head, and sometimes a problem in the joints of the neck refers pain into the head causing a headache. By adjusting the neck and helping the problem within the joints of the neck the headache resolves too.
Conclusion
Headaches can have a wide variety of causes and there are many different diagnosable headaches. The most common types of headaches can be helped by chiropractic. Chiropractic may not always ‘cure’ every headache, but it is a safe and natural way that has helped many find relief and gets to the cause of the problem not just covers the pain. Could chiropractic help you or someone you know? Come and find out!
