What Causes Headaches?
There are many different types of headaches and therefore many different causes of headaches. It is important to understand that not only can headaches interrupt our daily lives, leave us debilitated in bed, and even take away hope for a normal life; but headaches occur for a reason. Our body doesn’t feel pain without a reason for it. In our office we strive to help our patients understand that pain is never normal. A great article by Try Chiropractic First says “Headaches may be common, but they’re not normal”. As previously stated, headaches can be cause by a wide variety of things, both physical and environmental. Causes can come from environmental factors such as improper diet, eye strain, and stress. As a chiropractic facility, we are also concerned with the nervous system and the musculo-skeletal systems and their respective contributions to the cause of headaches. Chiropractors look at the alignment of the vertebrae, curvature of the spine, posture, muscular imbalances, and any degeneration of the spine. These problems can most often be alleviated by chiropractic care and can therefore reduce if not eliminate the severity and frequency of headaches. Having improperly aligned vertebrae in the neck can cause restricted blood flow the brain, nerve irritation, and extreme pressure on the brain stem; all of these serious issues can then lead to headaches.
What Can a Chiropractor do?
Chiropractors treat subluxations. When the symptom of headaches are present, these subluxations are typically found in the neck but can also be present throughout the rest of the spine. A subluxation is a twisting of the vertebrae that can lead to pressure on the nerves and can also result in restricted blood supply to parts of the body. Another condition chiropractors look for is Degenerative Disc Disease, commonly referred to as Degenerative Joint Disease or DJD. This condition can cause symptoms to appear throughout the body, including headaches. While subluxations can be treated through chiropractic care, DJD is an irreversible condition; however, it may be slowed down or even stopped through regular and early chiropractic care. Chiropractic care also focuses on other aspects of the spine such as proper spinal curve, muscle balance, and restoring proper nerve communication. Chiropractic focuses on the treating of headaches through non-invasive procedures, without the use of drugs. By correcting subluxations a chiropractor can restore an environment suitable for your body to function at its very best and reduce or eliminate symptoms such as headaches.
