Headaches

We often hear people say “I suffer normal headaches”. There is no such thing as a normal headache in a healthy person. Headaches are a warning sign created by your body.

Do Headaches Have a Purpose?
If you suffer from frequent headaches, you want them to go away. Why do we get headaches? And what’s the best way to reduce or eliminate them?

1. Identify Limits
Pain of any kind is our body’s way of telling us that we’ve reached a boundary.

2. Provide a Warning
Pain is a signal our body uses to alert us that something isn’t working correctly.

3. Avoid Injury
Ultimately, pain is a form of self-protection. Without experiencing pain, we might do more serious, irreversible damage to ourselves.

Today’s Drug Culture
While convenient, drugs that numb your nervous system have unwanted effects, such as kidney failure or liver damage. Worse, they do little to correct the actual cause of your headache.

Hidden Cause
A common cause of headaches is when the spinal joints of the upper neck are out of alignment. This can disrupt the nerve supply and/ or blood supply to your head, which causes the headache.

Types of Headaches:

What Puts the ‘Ache’ In Headache?
Veins and arteries inside the brain and skull, membranes that wrap around the brain and certain nerves in the head called cranial nerves. When these are stretched, compressed, irritated, inflamed or infected, headaches often result.

How Can Headaches Be Prevented?
Treatment depends on the cause. Commonly headaches can be treated with painkillers. But please remember – the pain may be gone but the cause of the headache is not corrected!

It’s been our experience that many types of headaches especially Cervical Origin and Tension headaches resolve with Spinal Manipulation, Massage and Preventative Exercise/Stretching. Treatment is aimed at keeping the spine aligned and reducing any muscle tension.

As well as treatment Cervical Origin and Tension headaches can often be avoided by maintaining proper posture and neck movements while performing your normal activities. You should:

What if it’s something serious?
If your practitioner feels that treatment is not appropriate for the cause of your headaches, you will be referred to your GP or to a suitable specialist.

There are many causes of headaches. Your practitioner can help you diagnose your headache type. Cervical Origin and Tension headaches respond well to ‘hands on’ treatment but once your headaches are relieved, it’s important to have regular ‘Spinal MOT’s’ to keep them at bay.

The information provided is for general guidance only and must not be used for diagnosis or treatment of a health problem. This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.