Decipher Your Headache - July 22, 2010

Dear Friends of Roscoe Chiropractic,

 

It's time for a small testimony on the effectiveness of chiropractic. I started seeing Dr. Chris in December because of some upper back/neck stiffness and pain along with headaches. I have been getting headaches since I can remember. I would get at least one headache a week and I had kind of just gotten used to it. I deemed myself a "person who just gets headaches".  I met Dr. Chris and he encouraged me to come in and see him because he was positive he'd be able to help me. After dragging my feet for several weeks I finally made the appointment.  I've been seeing Dr. Chris now for just over 6 months, I do get adjusted weekly still, but I can't remember the last time I was layed out with a headache. Within weeks of beginning treatment I stopped getting headaches regularly and now I can't place when I last had one.  I can also turn my head to the left again. I was never able to properly check a blind spot while changing lanes because my head simply wouldn't turn that far without pain. It's amazing how long we let things go because it seems like there is nothing that can be done.  I'm a much happier person now and probably a safer driver at that. :)

 

So what I want to talk about briefly today is how to distinguish what type of headache you get, for those of you out there who "just get headaches", like I used to.

 

1. Tension Headache: This is the most frequent type of headache. It occurs in people who are susceptible to stress, it starts with tightness in the neck and shoulders and progresses to pain at the base of the skull. Your forehead and temples may also ache.

 

2. Cervicogenic Headache: This headache originates from disorders of the neck. It is often preceded by awkward neck movement or positioning (painting a ceiling). It is accompanied by restricted range of motion in the neck and pain in your shoulder, neck, or arm.

 

3. Cluster Headache: These are relatively rare. They feature intense bouts of stabbing pain felt in very specific focal areas of the skull. The pain occurs in clusters and can last from minutes to hours. The discomfort occurs around one eye and can include nasal congestions and watery eyes. It's thought that cluster headaches are related to the sinuses. Chiropractic is less effective in treating this type of headache but it's always a good idea to have a chiropractor check your neck to rule out problems in this area.

 

Tension and Cervicogenic headaches are frequently caused by irritation of the nerves leading to the scalp. Those nerves exit the spine at the base of the skull and pass through several layers of muscle tissue. If this area of the spine is restricted or the muscles are tight it can irritate the nerves in the scalp and cause a headache. As you know, chiropractic helps to loosen the muscles in the shoulders and back and adjust any distortions in the spine that could be irritating those nerves. Often relief from chronic headaches is immediate and dramatic!

 

I didn't cover Migraine headaches in this email because they are considered to be in a category all their own. I have information available to anyone who would like it, regarding migraine headaches. Thanks for reading this week!

 

If anyone would like Dr. Chris to come into their workplace and conduct an informational talk on any variety of topics (headaches, workplace ergonomics, stress, fybromyalgia, etc.) please contact us at the office and we'd be happy to set something up.

 

Take care and be healthy!

Karla H.
Roscoe Chiropractic Centre