People experiencing pain from headaches often turn to chiropractic care for help. Read on to learn more.

According to the American Chiropractic Association (ACA): “Research shows that spinal manipulation – one of the primary treatments provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A 2014 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain and increased benefit was shown in several instances where a multimodal approach to neck pain had been used. Also, a 2011 JMPT study found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches.”

Triggers

Triggers may include foods, noise, stress, lights as well as behaviors such as excessive exercise, insomnia and blood sugar changes. 95 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. The primary cause of headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck. Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than in the past, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture.

What Can Be Done

The American Chiropractic Association offers the following advice:

• If you spend a lot of time in one fixed position, for example, in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour.
• Low-impact exercise may relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise, activities as walking and low-impact aerobics may be of benefit.
• Avoid teeth clenching.  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.

What Can Chiropractic Care Do?

• 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, 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.