Headaches May Not Be In The Head at ALL!

Headaches affect just about everyone at some point and they can present themselves in many different ways. Some people only experience pain in one part of their head or behind their eyes, some people experience a pounding sensation inside their whole head, and some people even experience nausea, while others do not. The pain itself may be dull or sharp and may last for anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. Fortunately, very few headaches have serious underlying causes, but those that do require urgent medical attention. Most people however feel the headaches are just a part of who they are, and in turn have chosen “to just live with them”. Some people have suffered for months and many for years and decades.

Although headaches can be due to a wide variety of causes, such as drug reactions, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), tightness in the neck muscles, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, stress and fatigue, the majority of recurrent headaches are of two types: tension headaches (also called cervicogenic headaches) and migraine headaches.

Tension Headaches

Tension type headaches are the most common, affecting upwards of 75% OF ALL HEADACHE SUFFERERS in santa clarita. Most people describe a tension headache as a constant dull, achy feeling either on one side or both sides of the head, often described as a feeling of a tight band or dull ache around the head or behind the eyes. These headaches usually begin slowly and gradually and can last for minutes, days or even months to years and tend to begin in the middle or toward the end of the day. Tension headaches are often the result of stress or bad posture, which stresses the spine and muscles in the upper back and neck. The nerves that exit through the spinal column off of the spinal cord in the upper portion of the neck control blood flow into the head. If these sensitive nerve fibers become irritated from subluxation (poor posture or misalignment of vertebrae) blood flow cannot be maintained properly resulting in a Headache.

Tension headaches, or stress headaches, can last from 30 minutes to several days. In some cases, chronic tension headaches may persist for many months or even years. Although the pain can at times be severe, tension headaches are usually not associated with other symptoms, such as nausea, throbbing or vomiting. People who hold desk jobs will tend to suffer from headaches for this reason. Tension headaches are also more common in people who suffer a whiplash injury due to an auto accident that results in subluxation and muscle damage in the neck region.

Chiropractors specialize in the musculoskeletal system and nervous system. Chiropractic treatment relieved more pain for Headache sufferers than any other treatment.*

Contact us today to find out if we can help you or a loved one.

-Dr. Ron Bittle 661-424-0400

*Double Blind Peer Reviewed Study.  Medicine, Physical Therapy, Massage, Acupuncture, & Chiropractic Therapeutic Benefits on Tension Headaches. JMPT 2008