I’ve talked before about different reasons people can get headaches, and now I want to explain a bit more in detail why chiropractic can be beneficial when it comes to headaches.
Cervicogenic Headaches
There are many different types of headaches, but I want to start with cervicogenic headaches, which means a headache originating from the neck. This headache will usually follow pain or tension in the neck or upper back. Poor posture and misalignment of the spinal column can be one reason you experience cervicogenic headaches. Forward head posture is becoming very common due to the use of cellphones and laptops. For every inch of forward head posture an additional 10 pounds of weight is added to the weight the neck has to carry. That extra weight can cause neck pain that leads to a headache. Chiropractic care can help restore motion in the cervical spine and upper back which will lead to less pressure on the nervous system. Chiropractic can also improve your posture with a little extra help from you not sitting or standing slouched over during the day.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are common and are caused by tension in muscles in the neck and scalp. Poor posture, stress, depression, head injury, anxiety, and other factors can contribute. The muscles around your spine protect the spine so when there is a problem in the spinal column the muscles will respond by contracting or spasming. This can create tension all the way up to your head and the result is a tension headache. Chiropractic care will address the problem in your spinal column which then will lead to fewer spams in muscles in your neck and scalp because they don’t have to work as hard supporting your spine.
Temporomandibular Joint
Headaches originating from the Temporomandibular (TMJ) joint is another type of headache I want to talk about because it is very common in our office. You may have noticed that it hurts to open or close your mouth, hurts to chew food, there is clicking or popping in the jaw, you grind your teeth at night, or that the jaw doesn’t open symmetrically. These are all signs that your jaw isn’t functioning optimally. A dysfunctional TMJ can lead to muscle tension in the jaw muscles which can lead to headaches. A chiropractor can examine your TMJ and see if dysfunction in that joint might be the cause of your headaches.
There are other types of headaches that you can be experiencing, and chiropractic care can be beneficial for more types than I mentioned. When you come in for your initial evaluation, we can provide you with more information and assess if chiropractic care can be helpful in your case.
