Headaches occur when pain sensitive structures in the head and the neck are disturbed by malfunction or disease.
PRIMARY headaches are usually 'benign' in nature and can be treated conservatively with chiropractic care.
Three common types of PRIMARY headaches may effectively be treated with chiropractic care.
- CERVICOGENIC headaches arise from dysfunction of structures within the neck. Discomfort from these headaches is perceived in the back of the head and may be aggravated by certain neck movements.
- TENSION-TYPE headaches are dull, low grade aches which involve both sides of the head and may spread down into the neck. They occur mostly in the back of the head and may travel to the frontal region behind the eyes. In some cases, they may affect the whole head, feeling almost like a 'tight cap' surrounding the scalp.
- MIGRAINE headaches are very specific in their patterns of discomfort. People experiencing migraine headaches experience moderate to severe recurrent headaches which last a few hours to a few days. Migraine headaches have very specific, recognizable features and are different from cervicogenic and tension-type headaches.
Recent research has shown that Chiropractic care and exercise are two of the most effective treatments for PRIMARY headaches. Functional Dry Needling is also a very effective method for treatment of headaches and can be used alone or in combination with Chiropractic adjustments.
Doctors of Chiropractic are trained to identify and categorize various types of headaches and may be able to provide advice and treatment for management of all three types of PRIMARY headaches and chiropractic treatment may provide you with effective relief from your pain.
