Headaches
Headaches are quite common and may be mild or completely debilitating. They often accompany neck pain and postural deficits. There are numerous types of headache and even more causes. Chiropractic care and Acupuncture both have strong efficacy in treating headaches. The effectiveness of treatment depends on what is causing the headache and what factors may be contributing.
"Headache"
"Headache" is a symptom. What does that mean? It means that your headache is being caused by something. The causes are wide ranging and often difficult to discern. Let's discuss a few common causes of headache that are treatable with chiropractic care and/or acupuncture.
Cervicogenic Headaches
This is a headache whos cause originates from the joints of the mid to upper cervical spine. Commonly a symptom of arthritic changes in the spine, this type of headache responds well to joint manipulation and cervical traction. The reason is simple, as the joint pain in the cervical spine is treated the symptom of headache becomes less severe and less frequent.
Tension-Type Headaches
This is the most common type of headache. They originate from the soft-tissues and muscles around the head and neck. They are often felt as a band across the side of the head, behind the eyes, and at the base of the skull. They often accompany neck and shoulder pain.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headache can be tricky to diagnose and treat. The cause of migraine is not widely agreed upon and migraine triggers can range from foods to neck pain. In those cases where a migraine has triggers in the cervical spine and musculature of the neck chiropractic care can help a lot.
Chiropractic Treatment of Headaches
Joint manipulation / adjustments, soft-tissue work / myofascial release, dry needling, stretching, lifestyle modification, rehab, spinal decompression are all effective treatments in their own right. How effective they are for your headache will depend on what is triggering the headache. Each type of treatment has an intended target tissue. After an exam the doctor will be able to recommend a few treatments which will best target the causes of your headache.
Acupuncture Treatment of Headaches
Acupuncture and/or Dry Needling has been rising in popularity for the treatment of headaches in recent years. The rise has everything to do with the effectiveness of the treatment. Beyond its merits, acupuncture and dry needling are generally painless and safe with only rare side-effects. At the clinic acupuncture and dry needling go hand in hand.
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Acupuncture: Use of traditional acupuncture points.
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Dry Needling: Local direct stimulation of the soft tissues with a needle.
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