Headaches

Too much tension
Chiropractic may help to relieve tightness in your neck muscles due to stress and tension in your neck, shoulders and back. Treatment may:

• reduce tension headaches – band-like pains at the back and front of your head

• improve the function of the jaw – grinding teeth causes muscle tension and may be a major factor in chronic headaches

• include sensible advice on how to cut down the stress in your life

Neck injuries

Chiropractic may also be very effective in the treatment of headaches that are the result of an injury or repetitive strain to your neck (known as cervicogenic headaches). These are usually dull or aching pains, affecting the base of the skull or one or both sides of your head.

Migraine

Migraine is a severe headache, accompanied by other symptoms which may include increased sensitivity to light or sound, nausea or visual disturbances that can last for hours or even days. Problems affecting the vertebrae (the bones of your spine) in your neck may also cause headaches, and may be a contributory factor in migraine. Your BCA chiropractor will be able to identify a loss of proper movement in the vertebrae and associated areas, and by treating them, improve their movement. This reduces stresses on the muscles, joints and nerves which may be causing the problem.

Chiropractic – not just for backs

Unlike painkilling drugs, chiropractic treats the cause of pain, not just the pain itself. Your BCA chiropractor will carry out a full examination (including X-rays if necessary), and ask you detailed questions about your medical history and lifestyle, to discover the cause of your headaches.

Then, after you have received your diagnosis, your treatment will begin, often with gentle, specific adjustments (the chiropractic word for manipulation) done by hand, to free stiff joints, relax muscles and remove spinal nerve irritation. This effective drug-free treatment is generally painless, although you may feel some short-term discomfort if your neck is very sore.

You may also be given massage or advice on exercise and posture, and changes you can make to your lifestyle, to help prevent headaches from occurring in the future.

What’s wrong with taking painkillers?

Painkillers can dull your pain, but it may well return as they do not necessarily deal with the cause. They may also have side effects. Regularly taking painkillers to treat headaches (i.e. on more than 15 days a month, every month) can actually cause more headaches.

How could lifestyle changes help?

Stress may often be the trigger of cervicogenic headaches and muscular pain in the neck. While chiropractic often helps, better results are obtained from treatment if you change some stressful habits. There are also certain substances in food and drink, and some mineral deficiencies that may be related to headaches. Small adjustments to your lifestyle can often make major changes to the quality of your life. Your BCA chiropractor may advise you about these.

What if it’s something serious?

If your chiropractor feels that chiropractic treatment is not appropriate for the cause of your headaches, you will be referred to your GP or to a suitable specialist.

Reproduced with permission from the British Chiropractic Association 2005