Headaches and Migraines are common symptoms of shoulder, neck and head pain. There are three common type of headaches, these are:
A cervicogenic headache is also known as a secondary headache, because it’s caused by a problem in the neck rather than a primary headache disorder. The pain is typically dull or aching and is often located in the back, upper sides of the head or in the temples, forehead or eye region. Cervicogenic can be located in one or more of these regions and can affect one or more sides of the head.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, they are often described to feel like a tight band across the head, they can also feel like pressure is being placed on the temples, the back of the head or neck and forehead. The pain felt is often mild to moderate and does not increase with physical activity.
There are multiple triggers for these types of headaches such as stress, life style, dehydration, muscle tension, and more. Tension headaches can become disabling when experienced frequently, when experienced for more than 15 days of a calendar month they are classed as ‘chronic’.
Migraines are often disabling and severely painful. They can have a multitude of side effects including vomiting and nausea, sensitivity to light, noise and smells. Migraines normally occur on one side of the head but can occur on both sides, the front, or the back of your head. The pain can shift across all sides of the head, but it can change depending on the area the migraine is.
The body is interconnected and controlled by the spine and nervous system, if one part of the body is not functioning at its highest capacity another part of the body may be affected. This is sometimes the case with headaches and migraines, often we can get to the root cause and treat it with consistent spinal manipulation.
Research is now showing that upper neck pain can be an underlying cause for headaches. Other than this there are others we look into when looking into the root cause of headaches, including:
A cause of headaches is upper cervical pain (upper neck pain). Upper Cervical pain is often caused by vertebrates becoming displaced and causing chronic head pain.
A Chiropractors approach to this is to adjust these displaced vertebrae and realign them. This may result in the easing of symptoms and may eliminate headaches. Chiropractic care has been proven to help with headaches and migraines through extensive research. At Bolton Spinal Health we offer care that aims to alleviate headaches and help you live your life to the fullest.
