If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer
from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing,
and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.
What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your
teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There
is a better alternative.
Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided
by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension
headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.
A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based
Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted
in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the
neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief
of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.
Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective
treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic
treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit
in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.
But to get to the bottom of the problem, you first need to find out what
is causing your pain. Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These
may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.)
and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.).
About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical
problems.
Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension,
migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused
by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.
- If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in
front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break
and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your
head and neck through a comfortable range of motion. - Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary
headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid
heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics. - Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers,
except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular
joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading
to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches. - Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration,
which can lead to headaches.
In addition, the ACA and its Council on Nutrition suggest you avoid the
following food “triggers”:
- Avoid caffeine. Foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas and cocoa contain
high levels of the stimulant. - Avoid foods with a high salt or sugar content. These foods may cause migraines,
resulting in sensitivity to light, noise, or abrupt movements. - Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. These drinks can dehydrate you and
cause headache pain. - Other headache sufferers may want to avoid not only caffeine, but also
high-protein foods, dairy products, red meat and salty foods.
Chiropractors may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a
primary headache:
- Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal
function and alleviate the stress on your system. - Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps
the addition of B complex vitamins. - Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation
techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation
and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients
in many ways – not just back pain.
If your headache is symptomatic of a health problem that needs the care
of another discipline, your doctor of chiropractic will refer you to an
appropriate specialist.