Have you exhausted your options when it comes to relief from headaches? Discover how a chiropractor can help relieve headaches here.
Researchers estimated in 2022 that 15.8% of the world’s population had headaches. This percentage is out of the 7.9 billion people in the world.
Most people could admit to having suffered from a headache or two. Want to relieve headaches? You may have considered chiropractic adjustments as a solution.
Chiropractic care is a common solution for migraines and headaches alike. If you suffer from headaches, this may be a treatment that could work for you.
Keep reading to find out if chiropractic care can help relieve headaches or migraines.
What Causes Headaches?
If you have headaches, you may be wondering what could cause this pain. Some people have occasional headaches, while others may suffer from them chronically.
This often has to do with the nerves and blood vessels around the skull and brain. But there are many sources of headaches that you need to consider.
Research shows that some people may also carry genes making them more likely to suffer from headaches. It really depends on a person-by-person basis and the pain they’re having.
This can also have to do with lifestyle factors from stress or work-related tension. You may have triggers or have overly tight facial muscles or misalignments.
How Chiropractor Adjustments Can Relieve Headaches
If you want to relieve headaches, a chiropractor can help with this. They have the skills to better identify what may be causing the issue to begin with.
Spinal manipulation is considered to be an effective type of treatment plan. This can help you to manage headaches and reduce your overall symptoms.
This has even been shown to help with both headaches and migraines. You can use this option if you have frequent headaches or suffer from more severe head pain.
Many people find that going to the chiropractor helps with a variety of issues. It may also help you with any neck or shoulder pain you’re experiencing.
Your chiropractor may use specific techniques depending on the type of headaches you are getting, like:
- Manual therapy
- Soft tissue therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Electrical stimulation
- Acupuncture
How to Prevent Headaches
Most chiropractors will suggest adjustments along with lifestyle changes. Most of the time, you may be able to prevent headaches just by avoiding certain things.
If you really want to relieve headaches, you need to identify what might be the cause. Your chiropractor can also help you to do this if you don’t know where to start.
Here are some things you can do to prevent headaches on a day-to-day basis.
Reduce Tension
One of the biggest causes of headaches is tension from daily life. You may not even realize that your face or neck is tense during the day, which could be causing pain.
The biggest culprit of this is leaning forward when you are working on something. This creates back and neck tension, moving its way to your head throughout the day.
You may also struggle with anxiety or stress that can cause significant tension. If you notice yourself tensing up, you want to relax your body.
Some people find that doing exercises help with this by relieving their muscles. You can do back, arm, and neck stretches to try to remove some of the pain.
Limit Electronics
One common culprit of headaches has to be the use of electronics. These produce bright lights and colors that can be very hard on your eyes.
Over time, these lights can start to give you headaches if you frequently use electronics. This is commonly caused by phones and laptops, but any electronic can cause this.
Leaning over electronics or bending your neck forward can also be a problem. Many people have poor posture when they are using things like their phones.
Get Enough Sleep
The majority of people could admit that they do not get enough sleep each night. This is a huge issue as it can gradually lead to sleep deprivation, leading to other side effects.
Sleep deprivation can cause things like stress and more tension throughout your body. Even general sleepiness can cause you to get head pain during the day.
Most people should get at least 7 hours of sleep a night according to their age. The younger you are, the more sleep you should be getting.
You could also try light napping during the day if you have sleep issues like insomnia. Although, this can sometimes cause more headaches in some people.
Avoid Triggers
Some people may find that they have headache triggers behind their head pain. A trigger is something that causes a headache when you are exposed to it.
For some people, this could be sugary foods or foods with GMOs. For other people, they may find that strong smells trigger a headache or a migraine.
The sooner you can identify your triggers, the sooner you can prevent them. You may need to start a headache diary to do this if you don’t know what these triggers could be.
You could also try going on a plain food diet to see if you have any food triggers.
How a Chiropractor Can Relieve Headaches
If you have headaches, you may need to see a headache chiropractor for treatment options. Those who want to relieve headaches may need to try a variety of things.
You may need chiropractic adjustments and lifestyle changes to get the best results. Often, regular adjustments and avoiding triggers is enough to do the job.
Do you want to see a chiropractor about your headaches? Contact us today at Gold Coast Chiropractic to schedule an appointment.
