Headaches

There is a wide variety of types of headaches and there is an absolute difference between your average headache and a migraine.  This page will go into some of the most common types of headaches and what chiropractic can do for you. 

The headache is one of the most common complaints among the people who come into this office. About 75% of all women who come in for care have some form of headache as one of their top three complaints.  Of men, that number drops a little, but it is still on most lists of chief complaints on the initial visit.  In the real world this translates into more than over 300 million working days lost per year due to the simple headache.

Those of you who suffer from headaches know all about it and are probably searching for a way to get around having them.  Most of us reach to the medicine cabinet to take one of many different anti-inflammatory, pain killing or narcotic pills we have gotten either over the counter or from our medical doctors.  This can be a short term answer to the problem, but often times it is not a good long term solution.

Headaches can be from a variety of sources:  Sinus inflammation, allergies to foods or pollens, dental problems, high blood pressure, low blood sugar, hormonal fluctuations, eye conditions, dehydration and thyroid or adrenal gland dysfunctions.  Some of these types of headaches may not be helped to a great extent by a chiropractor.  If we find that these are some of the problems that are related to your headaches, Dr. Allen will refer you to the proper health care professional that can help get these problems resolved while she continues to take care of the rest of you.

More commonly headaches are associated with problems with the TMJ (jaw joint and muscles surrounding it), muscle tension in the neck or upper back from stress or poor posture, misaligned bones in the neck or upper back and overuse of medications that can cause rebound headaches that can be absolutely ferocious in intensity.

• TMJ Headaches:  The temporo-mandibular joint is the "jaw joint" that sits directly in front of the ear.  Many people have headaches that begin here and radiate into the eye, face and head above and around the ear.  We all have stress in our lives and many of us deal with this by clenching our teeth.  When we clench, we tend to grind as well.  How many times have you awakened after a poor night sleep not feeling rested at all with a raging headache on one or both sides of your head? If the answer to that question is often, you may have some TMJ problems.  Chiropractic can help.  We can loosen the muscles associated with the jaw and we can re-align the joints gently and effectively so that you are less likely to grind.  Relaxation techniques and trigger point therapy may also be advised with a home care plan to follow so that you can also help yourself when these headaches hit. 

• Muscle Tension Headaches:  This is one of the most common headaches we see and have exceptional results with.  The typical pain pattern with muscle tension headaches is a headache that starts either in the upper neck or base of the skull that slowly radiates up over the top of the head and settles in in the temporal area above the eyes.  These types of headaches are more commonly seen starting a couple of hours into the work day and by the time work is done the headache is in full force.  Many people with these types of headaches do some type of desk work, either answering phones or computer work, or are full time students who spend a good portion of the day taking notes on a small desk.  Other sufferers do very labor intensive jobs that require looking and reaching up much of the day.  Chiropractic care is a very safe and comfortable solution to this problem.  We take care of the cause of the problem by re-aligning the bones involved and relaxing the muscles associated with the neck and upper back.  We will give you suggestions on how to create a work space that is better ergonomically for you so the headaches will be relieved.  Trigger point therapy, electrical stimulation, traction and/or stretching exercises will be advised in addition to the specific chiropractic adjustments to help alleviate the problems completely.

• Cervicogenic Headaches:  This type of headache can appear at any time of the day or night  can be left or right sided or on both sides of the head.  This type of headache is specifically associated with misalignment of the bones, severe tightness of the ligaments, tendons and muscles of the upper neck which will cause irritation of the nerves and disruption of blood flow to the back and sides of the head.  Chiropractic, trigger point and massage therapy are the perfect answer to this problem.  Chiropractors are specifically trained to adjust the very sensitive upper cervical areas of the spine gently and effectively to make sure that the bone alignment is correct.  The massage therapists will use very specific trigger point techniques to make sure the muscles are relaxed and supple.  This will release the pressure on the nerves and blood flow to make sure that your headaches are relieved as quickly as possible.

With any of these types of headaches, we can help.  When you come in let us know on your paperwork that you suffer from headaches and we will get you on the fast track to reclaiming your life and getting rid of your pain.  Headaches can be totally debilitating in both your professional and personal life.  Don't let it get the better of you, let us help.

When you come in, Dr. Allen will do a thorough examination to find out the specific cause of your specific type of headache.  She will find the specific bones, nerves and muscles that are the most problematic for you.  She may want to take x-rays, so please let us know whether or not you are pregnant.  Once she figures out the problem, you will be given a care plan that she suggest you follow.  For the best, fastest and most lasting results keeping your care plan is highly recommended.  We understand that sometimes the suggested care plan is hard to follow, let us know your circumstances and we will do our best to accommodate you!

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Alta Vista Chiropractic 1781W 9000S, West Jordan, UT 84088 Ph: 801-562-5600 Fax: 801-255-7104