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 SYMPTOMS: Headache pain can be throbbing, dull, achey, sharp or any combination of the aforementioned. Pain can originate at the base of the skull or anywhere around the face or head. Oftentimes, over the counter medications only dull the pain slightly or the pain returns when the medication wears off.
CAUSES: Your doctor of chiropractic can determine which kind of headache you have and recommend the appropriate treatment. Headaches can be caused from stress, poor posture, toxic foods, preservatives, vitamin deficiencies, alcohol, or misalignment from the jaw, just to name a few. Stress causes tension in the neck that leads to irritation of tiny nerves and blood vessels resulting in the transfer of pain signals to the spinal cord and brain.
TREATMENT: An important component in treating headaches is first determining what type of headache you are experiencing. Your doctor of chiropractic is highly trained to determine the cause of your headache and recommend the most appropriate and effective treatment. Types of headaches include migraine headaches, tension headaches and vascular headaches. 95% of headaches are treatable through chiropractic methods without the side effects of drugs. In the rare instance that you are experiencing a headache caused by something more serious, your chiropractor will be happy to make a quick referral to the appropriate medical doctor. For the other 95% of headaches, the most common causes is misalignment of the vertebrae in the neck causing pain in the neck, shoulders and head. Through chiropractic manipulation of the neck, the doctor can often eliminate or reduce the frequency and duration of the painful headaches. By aligning spinal joints through chiropractic adjustments, the pathway to the nervous system is cleared, allowing for normal nerve transmission of signals meaning a reduction or elimination of pain in the head and neck sometimes permanently. Your chiropractor may also recommend changes and diet including vitamin supplementation.
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