Headache is a common complaint, but can sometimes become so severe that it starts to affect your ability to focus, achieve your goals for the day, or in severe cases your ability to function. At Carbon Chiro, we specialise in chiro for headaches to help alleviate your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
It is estimated that around 4.9 million people in Australia suffer from headaches, and it is a common presentation to chiropractic clinics. The aetiology of headache is complex, and while pain can be caused by structures outside the skull (like muscles of the neck), the mechanism of pain in primary headache is likely a combination of changes to (and inflammation in) the neurovascular structures and enhanced nociception (the way your nervous system detects painful stimuli). For those seeking relief, chiro for headaches provides a non-invasive treatment option.
There are other, sometimes concerning causes for headache, including trauma, vascular disorders, and infection, which while rare in a chiropractic clinic, can be recognized and referred on to an appropriate service.
Chiro for headaches is particularly useful in the treatment of cervicogenic headache, although some patients have reported relief of other types of headache. Chiro for headaches would be highly beneficial if you are suffering from cervicogenic headache, you are likely to have altered neck posture or restricted neck range of motion, and the pain will be made worse by active neck movement or applying pressure to certain regions of the neck (the involved facet region or near the occipital nerve).1
1. Biondi DM. Cervicogenic headache: a review of diagnostic and treatment strategies. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2005;105(4 Suppl 2):16S-22S.
Things that can make a mild headache worse, regardless of the type of headache, include
In Chiro for headaches, treatments often involve creating movement in restricted joints to improve range of motion and mobility. For example, cervical facet joints, which frequently become restricted, can impair neck movement. Chiropractic adjustments, combined with soft tissue therapy, can significantly increase neck range of motion and alleviate headaches caused by neck stiffness.
This creates movement in the restricted joint in order to improve range of motion and mobility in that joint. One of the most common restricted joints are the cervical facet joints, which can impair your ability to move the neck in different planes. Adjustment, done safely and in combination with soft tissue therapy, significantly increases neck range of movement and can help with headaches caused by neck stiffness.
This includes movement of joints through their range without reaching the point of adjustment. Gentle traction, predominantly of the sub-occipital region, helps release the muscles at the base of the skull, which are notorious for causing persistent headaches.
Strengthening weak musculature, not just of the neck but surrounding structures, may reduce headache as well as neck pain.
Assessment of posture and advice on the ergonomics of your workspace (and daily life) can help prevent recurrence and create long-lasting change.
Here at Carbon Chiro we specialise in helping relieve problematic headaches.
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