Chiropractic Treatment for Headaches

Have you experienced pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck? Youre not alone. Figures show
that 9 out of ten individuals suffer from headaches and it can affect just about everyone in many
different ways at some point. In Australia alone, headache is one of the most common health-related
conditions, with 2.2 million people reported having headaches and that only 15% were taking
medication to alleviate the pain.
Headache is so common, that a study published by Journal of Clinical Neuroscience in 1998, showed that
individuals suffering from headache and migraine don't seek out immediate help from a healthcare
provider. Instead they would consult general practitioners (23%), pharmacists (11%), dentists (7%),
chiropractors (4%), medical specialists, physiotherapists, eye practitioners and massage
therapists (each 2%).

Types of Headaches
Headache is an individual condition and although some are non-threatening and benign, there are cases
where it can be caused by an underlying disease like a tumour, head injury, infection or brain bleed. In
fact, there are more than 200 types of headaches but they are broadly classified as primary, secondary
and other headaches. Primary headaches are generally painful and recurrent but are not dangerous and
definitely not caused by any underlying disease or structural problems. Secondary headaches, on the
other hand, are typically caused by an underlying serious disease.
1. PRIMARY HEADACHES Common examples in this category include migraine, tension
headaches, also called chronic daily headaches or chronic non-progressive headaches, which occur more
in adults and adolescents.
2. SECONDARY HEADACHES Typical examples include brain freeze, stroke, dehydration,
influenza and concussion, simple medical conditions like dental pain from infected teeth or an infected
sinus, as well as life-threatening conditions like bleeding in the brain or infections like encephalitis or
meningitis.
3. CRANIAL NEURALGIAS, FACIAL PAIN AND OTHER HEADACHES Trigeminal neuralgia is the
most commonly recognized example in the category. The inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, can
trigger severe facial pain that can distort a face causing the head to move away from the pain.

Causes and Symptoms of Headaches

Headaches are characterized by pain that is sharp and throbbing and dull but pulsating that gradually or
suddenly disappears. While most headaches disappear with some help of pain relievers, there are other
types that can progress from temporarily annoying to severe condition. Headaches have many
precipitating factors or triggers which include food, environmental stimuli such as noises, lights or stress
and existing conditions like having insomnia, engaging in excessive exercise or changes in blood sugar.
Remember that 95% of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine or cluster
headaches and only 5% are actually warning signals caused by physical problems.

Some headaches may be life-threatening and can cause long-term damage if left unattended. The
existence of the following symptoms could mean that the pain needs further investigation with
neuroimaging and lab tests. To identify a progressively worsening secondary headache, take note of the
SSNOP:
Systemic symptoms (fever or weight loss)
Systemic disease (infection, malignancy)
Neurologic symptoms or signs
Onset sudden (thunderclap headache)
Onset after age 40 years
Previous headache history (first, worst or different headache)

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Headache symptoms can have many different possible treatments. For an accurate diagnosis of your
headache and to rule out any injury that may be causing the pain, it is important that you visit a
healthcare specialist like neurologists or chiropractors. Chiropractors are healthcare professionals
involved with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of neuromusculoskeletal system disorders.
There arent many large studies on the value of chiropractic treatment in managing migraines but
results of 22 studies, which had more than 2600 patients, showed that chiropractic treatment may serve
as a good preventive treatment for migraines. Furthermore, the same studies also showed that 49% of
the patients, report a significant reduction in pain intensity and 20% of the patients report the number
of attacks drop by 90%.
Chiropractic management of headache considers the fact that each individual is different and requires a
thorough evaluation before a proper course of chiropractic care can be determined for the type of
headache suffered. Once a chiropractor has fully understood a patient's condition (e.g. consultation and
X-ray examination), they will outline a treatment plan tailored to their condition.
Originally posted on http://www.optimallife.com.au/headache/chiropractic-treatment-headaches/