Chiropractic is an ideal alternative therapy that works not only to relieve headache pain but to also restore normal functioning to the nervous system and spine. Please read on for more information.
What is a Headache?
A headache is when someone feels pain or discomfort in the head and/or face. It is a symptom of many different conditions, and physiologically may be caused by a disruption to pain-sensitivity structures in the head.
Headaches may be classified as either primary or secondary. Primary headaches develop on their own, whereas secondary headaches develop as a symptom of another disease, condition or illness.
What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is an alternative form of medicine that aims to diagnose, treat and prevent mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system via manipulation and realignment of the spine and other bodily structures.
How Does Chiropractic Help Alleviate Headaches?
Most good chiropractors employ the use of physical, orthopedic and neurological tests to pinpoint potential causes of the headache. The practitioner will then use spinal manipulation to treat the headache, thus:
- Improving spinal alignment
- Reducing nerve irritation
- Reducing muscle tension
- Improving blood flow and circulation
A chiropractor may aim to reduce headache symptoms with massage and Trigger Point Therapy, and may even use x-ray to determine whether abnormal positioning of the shoulder and neck are causing the headaches. They may also recommend a suitable lifestyle plan including relaxation techniques, daily stretches, changes in posture and other exercises.
Chiropractic and Tension Headaches
Tension headaches result from muscular tension in the head, neck and shoulders. This tension ultimately leads to changes in normal posture and movement in order to compensate, which itself results in even more muscular tension, thus creating a vicious cycle that causes an increasingly painful headache.
Chiropractic aims to resolve and break the vicious cycle by releasing any muscular tension, and by realigning skeletal structures. Relief is often experienced from tension headaches minutes after Chiropractic treatment, after which muscle tension has eased and nerve irritation has been reduced.
Chiropractic and Migraine Headaches
Certain triggers cause a sudden dilation of blood vessels in the head to occur, thus producing a painful migraine.
Recent scientific studies have shown chiropractic may play an important role in treating migraines in its subtle manipulation and realignment of the spine. The adjustments also improve blood flow by reducing any irritation to nerves rooted in the spine which themselves are responsible for vascular system tension control.
If you are interested in trying chiropractic to relieve your headaches, please speak to a professional chiropractor for more information.
Find out about other effective natural headache treatments.
Originally published on Jun 22, 2010
