According to recent data, 90 percent of Americans suffer from headaches of one form or another. At best, mild headaches can be a nuisance. At worst, migraine headaches can interfere with a person’s quality of life. Pills and prescriptions typically provide temporary headache relief instead of attacking the root-cause and furnishing a permanent cure. However, chiropractic care can achieve dramatic results for even the most severe types of headaches.
Headache Symptoms Treatable by a Chiropractor
There are a variety of headache types, and thus a variety of symptoms. Here’s a list of the most common symptoms experienced by headache sufferers nationwide, including cities like Charlotte, NC:
- Dull, throbbing pain
- Photophobia (aversion to light and noise)
- Nausea/vomiting
- Depression
- Cognitive problems related to memory, speech, and critical thinking
Many headache symptoms are quite serious, often leading sufferers to seek counsel from a doctor. However, too many general practitioners ignore the idea that a person’s headaches could be the result of something nerve or pressure-related, and instead embark on lengthy, expensive, and sometimes invasive procedures that do little to actually cure the patient.
Why Chiropractic Care is a Natural Option for Headache Relief
Whereas many general practitioners attribute headaches of all types to psychological issues like anxiety and stress, the team at Active Life Chiropractic believes the source of headaches can be traced to nervous system maladies caused by spine and muscle problems. Trauma (i.e. a car accident), ongoing stress, and genetic factors are all things which can create a spinal misalignment that pressures the surrounding nerves. Since the human body’s nervous system is interconnected, abnormal pressure on nerves along the spine can have an adverse effect on the nerves in a person’s head, thus leading to headaches. This pressure can also lead to a tightening of the back, neck, and jaw muscles.
In order to minimize and eventually eliminate headaches, the first step is to discuss the various factors that could be causing and/or contributing to them. Spinal stress and misalignment can result from poor posture, weight gain, or a job that involves hours of sitting or lots of heavy lifting. It’s also important to discuss potential causes unrelated to the spine, i.e. teeth-grinding. When this preliminary discussion is concluded, an effective treatment plan can be designed for headache relief.
A typical plan centers on non-invasive spinal adjustments that alleviate nervous-system pressure, and, in an ideal scenario, deliver quick relief. Along with an adjustment regimen, we’ll cover different forms of stretching, exercise, and relaxation techniques that can be very helpful within the overall process. We’ll also review your posture and discuss how to maintain good posture at work, and we’ll talk about your diet and offer nutritional advice (for example, supplementing your diet with B-complex vitamins). No stone is left unturned in our quest to develop the ideal treatment plan for your symptoms.
Although results vary depending on the patient and the cause/intensity of one’s headaches, studies confirm that chiropractic treatment is an effective, natural way to treat and eliminate headaches once and for all. If you have questions or would like to set up an appointment, contact Active Life Chiropractic today.