Headaches and migraines are one of the most complained-about types of pain in everyday life. In fact, headaches are the #1 cause of pain that people take pain medication like Advil and Tylenol for. There are a lot of different factors that could be causing your headaches, but taking pain medication shouldn’t be your first choice.
Common Types Of Headaches
There are three common types of headaches: tension headaches, migraines, and cervicogenic headaches. Each one is different but they also share many of the same symptoms. Even though they range in severity, none of them are pleasant.
- Tension Headache – Of the various types of headaches, these are the most common. Tension and stress in the muscles are the biggest cause of tension headache, and you are likely to have a steady ache instead of a throbbing ache that is common with migraines.
- Cervicogenic Headache – Like a tension headache, a cervicogenic headache usually results in a steady ache but it can increase in intensity. What makes this different is that the pain from the headache is actually “referred pain”, meaning the source is actually in the neck but you are feeling it in your head.
- Migraine – A migraine is pain that is usually concentrated in one area of your head, and instead of a dull, steady ache, is accompanied by sharp throbbing pain. Additionally, severe migraines can also cause nausea and sensitivity to both light and sound.
How Misalignments Cause Headaches
Misalignments in your spine and neck can cause all types of pain and discomfort. You may feel the pain in your back, as is common, or even in your neck and shoulders. These misalignments can put pressure on nerves and cause muscle tension. Tension is one of the biggest causes for many people with headaches, so having a misaligned spine or neck can greatly increase your frequency of headaches.
Ways To Help Prevent Headaches
Along with great chiropractic care, there are some preventative measures that you can take outside of the chiropractor’s office to reduce your chances of headaches and migraines. Not only can making some simple changes at home help with reducing headaches, but these changes will help you in other areas of your health, too.
Stay hydrated – That’s right, not drinking enough water every day can leave you more susceptible to headaches. Your body needs plenty of water to efficiently carry out its numerous functions.
Fix bad posture – Being consciously aware of your posture at home and at the office is the perfect compliment to chiropractic care to help reduce headaches and migraines. Bad posture has huge negative effects on the spine and the neck which will cause headaches along with other types of pain.
Screen time – Looking at a digital screen for too long can cause eye strain and headaches. You should try to limit your time looking at computer and TV screens, as well as maintaining some distance between the screen and your eyes. You may have a job that requires hours in front of a screen, but there are some solutions out there. Find some quality blue light glasses to wear during long hours in front of the screen.
Good, quality sleep – If you aren’t getting enough quality sleep every night, this can affect almost every area of your health. Poor sleep will also increase your likelihood of headaches and migraines.
Diet – Maintaining a healthy diet (along with staying hydrated) can also reduce headaches. Plus, certain foods could potentially trigger headaches for you so talk to your chiropractor if you think this might be a cause.
Migraine Specialist In Southlake, Texas
Dr. Robert Meyer knows your pain – literally. By the time he turned 17, he was taking up to 6 Advil a day for his headaches with minimal to no relief at all. Soon after that, he became a chiropractic patient for the first time. Just a handful of alignments later and he no longer had to take pain medication for headaches.
At Meyer Chiropractic, we never want anyone to go through the pain of headaches and migraines. This is why we provide the best in chiropractic care and natural remedies to not only reduce headaches and migraines, but outright prevent them. If you want to stop relying on pain medication, get real treatment, and stop having headaches and migraines in Southlake, Texas, call us today to schedule an appointment.
