When your head hurts, everything becomes blurred. You cannot
focus, your vision may become unclear, and you cannot eat or enjoy
a good joke – nothing is relevant anymore while your head is
pounding with pain. Yet, it does not hurt in the same way all the
time and not even in the same area of your head. This is because
there are several types of headaches. And our chiropractors know
not only why they happen, but also how to help you.
The
Most Common Types of Headaches
First of all, let us focus on the types of headaches that most of our patients complain of. They are:
1. Tension Headaches
These types of headaches feel like a band tightening around your head and giving you the sensation of your head being ready to burst. The pain is dull, but you feel it all over your head and it can last for hours. In our experience, tension headaches are the result of stress, dehydration, and poor sleep. They are more frequent among office employees, who lead a less active life, have tight deadlines for projects, and often skip meals. Our chiropractors can help you find relief from these types of headaches with personalized therapies as well as advice to help you reduce stress and lead a healthier lifestyle.
2.
Cluster Headaches
These headaches focus on specific parts of your head, in a
repeating pattern that reoccurs for months. Some patients suffer
from several cluster headaches each day, lasting between a few
minutes and a few hours. In general, these types of pains occur
behind the eyes. A stuffy nose is one of the factors favoring a
cluster headache, as well as alcohol and tobacco. Gentle
manipulations will help patients find relief from these headaches,
together with our chiropractors’ advice to remove all stressors and
risk factors from their lifestyle.
3. Migraine Headaches
These types of headaches are the worst of all. They can
effectively cripple a person, leaving them unable to get out of bed
and perform the simplest tasks and chores around the house.
Migraines manifest themselves as an intense throbbing pain that can
last up to three days. The patient becomes overly sensitive to all
stimuli: light, sound, touch, and even taste. So far, researchers
have found no specific cause for migraines. They believe these
types of headaches may be genetic but also triggered by certain
foods in some patients.
Chiropractic may help patients cope with migraine headaches by
reducing the intensity of pain through specific therapies.
Less
Common Types of Headaches
Headaches have several underlying causes, which doctors and chiropractors can pinpoint. These are:
1.
Sinus Headaches
Allergies and sinus infections (including sinusitis) can give
patients a dull headache located above the nose, in the cheekbones,
and along the eyebrow arches. Chiropractic is an excellent choice
for treating both these types of pain and the underlying cause.
While allergies cannot be fully treated, patients who come to our
clinic say that their symptoms are milder and far less frequent. As
for sinusitis, chiropractors can help drain the fluid buildup in
the sinuses, resolve the inflammation and restore the proper
functioning of the sinus tissues.
2. Exertion Headaches
Too much and too intense exercising can give you a headache. It
is a short and throbbing headache, which will go away quickly, but
in some cases, it can last for a day. Our chiropractors will teach
you how to exercise properly, paying attention to warming up,
correct gait and posture, and cooling down.
Our specialists will also give you a check-up to make sure that
your intense physical activity has not caused joint misalignments
or wear and tear in your muscles and ligaments, including
compartment syndrome, bursitis, and tennis elbow.
3. Hormone Headaches
These types of headaches affect women during certain periods of
the month, such as on ovulation and period days. Our chiropractors
know that the hormonal system is directly controlled by the nervous
system. Thus, spinal adjustments can help women experience less
painful and heavy periods, as well as reduce the frequency of
hormone headaches.
Our chiropractors can help you find relief from different types
of headaches in a safe and non-invasive manner. Call our clinic now
to schedule an appointment!