Chiropractic for Headaches

HeadachesApproximately 80% of headaches originate from the neck. Increased stress and tension can build in the shoulders causing contractions surrounding neck muscles. Contracting muscles can cause the vertebrae to become misaligned causing pressure on spinal nerves. This ultimately creates pain that leads to headaches. A person usually feels pain starting at the base of the skull which radiates into the temples, eyeballs, and forehead. This is the typical cervicogenic (neck origin) headache. Chiropractic techniques including spinal manipulation is known to improve migraine, neck and tension headaches.

The duration of treatments would be based on the evaluation in a consultation visit. The effectiveness of chiropractic for headaches depends on the origin of the patients headaches. There are a number of contributing factors such as sinuses, hormones, chemical imbalances, nutritional (red wine, chocolate), and structural imbalances. We try to educate patients about the effectiveness of chiropractic care in reducing structural imbalances (misaligned spinal joints that irritate the nerves that go to the head) that lead to headaches. Chiropractic treatments can also decrease the frequency or intensity of headaches.

Chiropractic AdjustmentsMany patients have felt almost immediate improvements with significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief through spinal manipulation than commonly prescribed medications. If you suffer from a primary headache we might suggest spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system. Other recommendations may include nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins. We can offer advice on posture, exercises and relaxation techniques that help with overall healing and wellness. This advice could help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back. Relieving tension in the spine will help reduce headaches.

Dr. Michael Petrie, D.C.
Spine and Joint Center