Headaches, Migraines, and Chiropractic Care

The causes of headaches can vary, such as:

Postural problems
Hormonal imbalance
Extra Stress
The straight or reversed curve in the neck
Too much wine while in Franschoek or Stellies
Lack of sleep
Tight sub-occipital muscles
Dehydration
Concussion or whiplash
Other more serious issues

The most common types of headaches we help with are:

Tension Headaches

This type of headache can be compared to a vice-like grip or a band squeezing around your head, it is usually on both sides of your head, base of skull or neck. This type of headache normally comes on gradually and can last anywhere between 30 minutes to 7 days. Tension headaches can also cause light and noise sensitivity.

Migraines

Migraines can be throbbing or aching and they are variable in severity. In approximately 70% of people, migraines are located on one side of their head and in the other 30% of people they are on both sides or all over their skull. Migraines normally come on rapidly and can last anywhere between 4-7 hours. Migraines can occur with an aura or without an aura – which are visual disturbances, typically flickering or zig-zagging lines. Other associated symptoms with migraines are Nausea, vomiting, and significant sensitivity to light.

Cervicogenic headaches

These headaches are located on one side of your head, typically above the eye, temple or the back of the head and neck. Typically they are non-throbbing and they normally start with pain in the neck. Cervicogenic headaches can last anywhere between 1 hour and can last weeks. They can be compared to migraines but milder. Usually cause by misalignment

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are normally on one side of your head, typically located behind your eyes or temple. They are normally deep, continuous and severe. They start abruptly and can last a few hours, and they are episodic for a few weeks. Cluster headaches can be associated with runny noses, tearing of the eyes, swollen eyelids and conjunctival infections.

How Does Chiropractic Care Benefit People with Headaches?

Many studies have shown that Chiropractic Care can reduce the number of headaches a patient gets as well as the intensity of those headaches. It’s a great way to treat the cause of your headache rather than just taking pain medication to alleviate the symptom for a little while. Our Chiropractors at Roots first figure out if there are misalignments in the spine or tension in the neck muscles that may be causing or contributing to the headache. Then we use specific Chiropractic adjustments to fix those misalignments and take the stress off the nerves in the head and neck.

On a personal note, all of our Roots Chiropractors have experienced headaches and migraines. We are very well acquainted with how annoying, terrible, and downright debilitating headaches and migraines can be. We’ve all also noticed great improvements from getting adjusted, not only to alleviate the headache temporarily but fix the underlying cause for long-term relief.

Please seek professional advice from your family Chiropractor or reach out to us at Roots Chiropractic if you have questions about headaches and migraines!