Can Chiropractic Care Help Relieve Headache Pain?

 Headache pain is one of the most common forms of pain.

Most people have experienced a headache, whether dull or sharp, constant or intermittent, localized in one spot or generalized over your whole head. The pain can be throbbing, stabbing, or squeezing. Some people experience chronic headaches that recur often, while some have acute onset headaches that come and go out of the blue. 

While the brain itself has no pain fibers, there are pain fibers in the nerves, muscles, and bones of your skull, and also in the periosteum, which is the connective tissue that covers bones, and in the meninges, which are the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Any of these structures can become inflamed or irritated and cause pain in your head. 

The kinds of headaches that should send you to the doctor are: the worst headache you’ve every had in your life, any headache associated with fever and a stiff neck or head trauma, weakness, paralysis, vision changes, vomiting, confusion, slurred speech, or a rash. If you are concerned you should check in with your primary health care practitioner. 

Headaches can be divided into three general categories. Primary headaches are headaches where the problem is the headache. This includes tension headaches, migraines, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are headaches caused by something else, such as illness, injury, blood pressure, allergies, or other issues. Cranial neuralgia is pain that occurs when nerves are pinched or compressed, and can feel like migraine pain. 

Primary Headaches May Be Triggered By Environmental Factors. Common Headache Triggers Include: 

- Dehydration

- Foods and drinks such as alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, processed meats, aged cheeses, certain food additives

- Poor sleep

- Stress, both emotional stress including excitement and happiness as well as worry, anger, or grief, and also physical stress such as overexertion or illness

Tension headaches are often triggered by stress, and can affect the head, neck, scalp, and shoulders with pain and tenderness. Tension headaches are often treated with over the counter pain relievers. Chiropractic care is a natural, pill-free alternative that may offer relief by removing any impingements of the nerves. Massage therapy may also be an effective treatment for tension headaches. If tension headaches are triggered by engaging in sedentary activities, such as working on a computer, reading, or sitting at a desk for another reason, a physical therapist may be able to offer suggestions for movement or posture to decrease stress. 

Migraine headaches are intensely painful and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The pain is often located on one side of the head, and the throbbing pain may get worse with movement or exposure to light and sound.  Migraine with aura describes migraine pain accompanied by visual disturbances such as lights, stars, blind spots, or zig zags. Migraines can have a genetic component, with susceptibility running in families. Migraine attacks are also associated with PTSD, head trauma, nervous system disorders, and environmental factors such as hormonal fluctuations, sleep patterns, some foods and drinks, and exposure to chemicals. 

Cluster headaches occur in a series. The patient may experience severe piercing or burning pain, usually on one side of the head. They may also experience sweating, nasal congestion, flushing, or swelling on the affected side as well. Cluster headaches are three times more common in men than in women, and may recur over a period of days or months. 

While it can be helpful to keep a headache journal in order to track and minimize headache triggers, it is also important to find relief. Some people experience relief from headache pain by using over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen. Other relief measures include resting in a darkened room, applying cold compresses, drinking plenty of water, smelling peppermint oil, or using biofeedback techniques to relax. Massage therapy and chiropractic adjustment has been shown to offer relief for headaches as well.  

If your headaches are causing significant disruption in your life, you can ask your health care practitioner about prescription options like triptans. 

Most treatment of primary headaches includes reducing triggers and managing pain if a headache does occur. If your headache is a secondary headache, you may need to dig a little deeper to discover what needs to be healed.

Causes of Secondary Headaches Include:

- Trauma

- Allergies

- Infections such as sinus infections, the flu, dental pain, thyroid disorders, glaucoma

- Rebound headaches

- Withdrawal headaches

- Blood pressure changes or issues with your circulatory system

- Structural issues such as neural impingement

- Strokes, tumors, or aneurysms 

Relief for secondary headaches involves treating the pain, with massage, chiropractic adjustment, or over the counter pain medications, along with addressing the causes of that pain. 

Chiropractic care focuses on aligning the spinal column and removing impingements. If your headaches are caused by any sort of misalignment, a chiropractor can help you get to the root of it. Reducing stress on the body, ensuring proper sleep and nutrition, and encouraging regular movement may also help address headache pain.

If you are dealing with headache pain, Natural State Health Center in Little Rock offers an integrative health team including chiropractors, a massage therapist, a physical therapist, and more. This team of experts can help you determine the best course of action to relieve pain and address any root causes.