Is there a natural solution to headaches?
Better Health Center Newsletter - May 2008
Headaches can be classified into two categories:
- Primary headaches: 90% of all headaches are tension–type, migraine, cervicogenic, and cluster headaches and are not caused by other underlying medical conditions.
- Secondary headaches: 10% of headaches result from other medical conditions, such as infection or increased pressure in the skull due to a tumor.
Tension Headaches
Tension–type headaches usually involve a steady ache, rather than a throbbing one, and are described as a feeling of pressure or tightening, may last minutes to days, affect both sides of the head, and and do not worsen with routine physical activity. Other symptoms may be photophobia or phonophobia (hypersensitivity to light and noise, respectively). Nausea is usually absent.
Causes of Tension Headaches?
- Some people get tension–type (and migraine) headaches in response to stressful events.
- Tension–type headaches may also be chronic, occurring frequently or daily.
- Psychologic factors have been overemphasized as causes of headaches.
- Rebound Headache: Rebound headache may occur among people with tension–type headaches, as well as in those with migraines. It appears to be the result of taking prescription or nonprescription pain relievers daily or almost every day, contrary to directions on the package label. If prescription or nonprescription pain relievers are overused, heada che may "rebound" as the last dose wears off, leading one to take more and more pills. This is a great reason to call your chiropractor. Break that cycle!
What are Cervicogenic Headaches?
Cervicogenic headaches originate from disorders of the neck and is recognized as a referred pain in the head.
Technical Explanation:
Primary sensory afferents (nerves that conduct signals to the brain) from the cervical nerve roots C1–C3 (cervical vertebrae, in the neck) converge with afferents from the occiput (back part of the skull) and trigeminal afferents (the fifth pair of cranial nerves, which divide on each side of the head into three main branches distributed to the orbits, jaws, and parts of the mouth; trifacial) on the same second order neuron in the upper cervical spine.
As a consequence, the body parts supplied with sensory input from the nerves of the cervical roots C1–C3 are potential sources of cervicogenic headache. Common causes of cervical headache are neck movements and/or sustained awkward head positionings, for example:
- Painting the ceiling
- Washing the floor
- The angle of the head while sitting at a computer
- Cradling the phone between your neck and shoulder
If you hold your head in an awkward position, repetitively, or often, this produces pressure over the upper neck or the back of the head on the symptomatic side.
A cervicogenic headache is often accompained by restricted cervical range of motion (motion in the neck area), ipsilateral (the effect is produced on the same side of the body where the stimulus arose) neck, shoulder, or arm pain of a rather vague non-radicular nature or, occasionally, arm pain of a radicular nature. Radicular is the nerve root, itself.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are less common than tension–type headaches, but affect 25 to 30 million people in the United States. As many as 6% of all men, and up to 18% of all women experience a migraine headache at some time in their lives.
One of the most distinguishing features of a migraine is the potential disability that accompanies the headache pain. Other features are:
- May last 4-72 hours
- Are typically unilateral (60% of reported cases), pain occurs on one side of the head
- Pain is throbbing, of moderate to severe intensity, and is aggravated by routine physical activity
- Nausea, with or without vomiting
- Possible sensitivity to light and sound
- Seeing an "aura" that occurs before head pain begins–– a disturbance in vision, and/or an experience of brightly colored or blinking lights in a pattern that moves across the field of vision. About one in five migraine sufferers experiences an aura.
Usually, migraine attacks are occasional, or sometimes as often as once or twice a week, but rarely occur daily.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are relatively rare, affecting about 1% of the population, and are distinct from migraine and tension–type headaches. Most cluster headache sufferers are male - about 85%.
Cluster headaches come in groups, or clusters, lasting weeks or months. The pain is extremely severe but the attack is brief, lasting no more than a hour or two. The pain centers around one eye, and this eye may be inflamed and watery. There may also be nasal congestion on the affected side of the face.
These "alarm clock" headaches may strike in the middle of the night, and often occur at about the same time each day during the course of a cluster. A history of heavy smoking and drinking is common, and alcohol often triggers attacks.
What Can You Do to Reduce Headaches?
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) suggests the following:
- If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one ho ur. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
- Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activitie as walking and low-impact aerobics.
- Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) - the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull - leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.
- Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.
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In addition, the ACA and its Council on Nutrition suggest you avoid the following food "triggers":
- Caffeine, foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas and cocoa contain high levels of the stimulant.
- Foods with a high salt or sugar content. These foods may cause migraines, resulting in sensitivity to light, noise, or abrupt movements.
- Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. These drinks can dehydrate you and cause headache pain.
- Other headache sufferers may want to avoid not only caffeine, but also high-protein foods, dairy products, red meat and salty foods.
What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do to Reduce or Eliminate Headaches?
Chiropractic Care for headaches may include all or one of the following:
- Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
- Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.
- Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscle of the neck and upper back.
If your headache is symptomatic of a health problem that needs the care of another discipline, your doctor of chiropractic will refer you to an appropriate specialist.
Newsletter Archives
Headaches & Chiropractic Care - September 2009 Importance of Water for Your Health - August 2009 Are Chiropractic Adjustments the Solution to Bed-Wetting? - June 2009 Can Chiropractors Help Children with Infantile Colic? - May 2009 Frozen Shoulder Syndrome - Can Chiropractic Help? - April 2009 Can Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Well-Being? - March 2009 Highlights of Chiropractic Research of 2008 & How Chronic Pain Affects the Brain - January 2009 Probiotics - Bacteria for Good Health - November 2008 Chiropractic Care - Preventing Vision Loss, Naturally - September 2008 Do you suffer from chronic low-back pain? - August 2008 Is There a Natural Solution to Headaches? - May 2008 |