“Aggh… Waking up with this pounding headache… AGAIN!
Please… don´t last the whole day! I need to lie down... turn off the lights”
Pain is a natural protective response our body has when there’s something wrong or it thinks something is potentially wrong. Pain comes in many forms, and headaches are a very common manifestation of pain and can be aggravated by other factors like emotional stress and tension.
“Headaches have been underestimated, under-recognised and under-treated throughout the world!”
We understand that headache, whether it is acute, intermittent, recurrent, or chronic. They are all associated with pain, disability, a ‘foggy head’, reduced quality of life and financial costs. Headaches alone affect 50% of people globally and 40% of people in the UK.
Common Types of Headaches
1). Tension headaches
2). Migraines
3). Cluster headaches
4). Headaches originating from the neck
5). Medication over-use headache
As chiropractors, we are highly trained to assess the type of your headache, and to help treat some of the most common types. Many people are surprised (and then relieved!) when they learn that chiropractic treatment can help by working on the neck and addressing lifestyle factors that may be aggravating your condition.
"Most patients actually experience more than one type of headache."
Once a thorough examination has been taken, we will outline a plan for your condition. It is very rare that patients need any further tests for the headaches that reach our clinic - most, even severe can be treated mechanically.
Treatment involves very gentle techniques to restore the mechanics and improve the movement of areas of the neck while stimulating the nervous system. Lifestyle changes to help the treatment will also be discussed with your chiropractor.
Exercises are also prescribed, if necessary, to help strengthen the neck and shoulders.
Try these self-help tips:
Apply an icepack to the painful area of your head, forehead, temples, or back of the neck.
Try a short 5 min walk in fresh air somewhere quiet
Take a nap
Drink water (2 litres per day)
Hot shower on the back of the neck and shoulders (5-10min)
Apply gentle, steady rotating pressure of the back of the neck or shoulders with your index finger, or have someone massage you.
Stretch and relax the muscles of the neck and shoulders. Do some shoulder shrugs.