Headaches
Headaches are a common disorder that most of us experience from time to time. For some people, though, headaches become a persistent problem, limiting activities and reducing quality of life. Chiropractic helps to address the cause and relieve the symptoms of some common types of headache.
You should see your GP about any severe or persistent headache to rule out other causes. See your GP immediately if your headache is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, dizziness, blurred vision or disorientation.
If you suffer from chronic headaches and migraines, please see one of Aurum Health Care’s experienced chiropractors for an assessment and treatment plan.
About Headaches
The International Headache Society recognises over 200 different types of headache.
It’s important to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis as different types of headache require different treatments.
PRIMARY HEADACHES
Occur on their own and can be caused by:
- Bad posture
- Alcohol (red wine is a culprit)
- Foods containing nitrates such as processed meat
- Poor sleep or changed sleep patterns
- Missed meals
- Stress.
Treatment involves identifying and avoiding triggers and correcting any spinal influence through chiropractic.
SECONDARY HEADACHES
Are a symptom of another health problem such as:
- Dehydration
- A head injury
- Acute or chronic sinus infections
- Eye problems such as strain or glaucoma
- Dental problems
- Shingles or other nerve conditions
- High blood pressure or an aneurysm
- Ear infections
- Side effects or overuse of some medications.
Treatment involves easing pain and managing the underlying condition.
Managing a headache
There is a certain amount of ‘trial and learn’ in managing any chronic condition, including headaches.
Your treatment team may recommend that you:
- Keep a diary so you can look for patterns and learn what triggers your headaches
- Avoid known triggers
- Take any medication recommended by your doctor
- See a chiropractor with experience in treating headaches.
Common types of headaches
A cervicogenic headache creates pain in your head, but the real problem is in your neck (cervical spine). A cervicogenic headache isn’t just a headache that includes neck pain (many headaches do). Rather, it’s a headache that’s caused by an issue in the neck.
In between your skull and your upper neck contains numerous pain-sensitive structures, including the lining of the cervical spine, the joints, ligaments, cervical nerve roots and vertebral arteries passing through the cervical vertebral bodies.
That means a disorder in your cervical spine has the potential to trigger a headache.
A cervicogenic headache can be caused by:
- Whiplash or other trauma to the neck
- Sustaining awkward head positions, for example, painting the ceiling or washing the floor
- An underlying medical condition such as arthritis, a growth or an infection.
Symptoms of a cervicogenic headache include:
- Dull, non-throbbing pain in the head and neck
- Neck stiffness
- Pain that radiates from back to front, around the eye and temple, often on one side of the head only
- Blurred vision
- Pain below the neck in the shoulders or arms.
A tension headache is an intermittent headache that feels like a band of pain being tightened around your head. It is associated with muscle origin, trigger points, and other myofascial syndromes.
Symptoms of a tension headache include:
- Tightness, squeezing, or band-like pressure around the head
- Pain:
– That builds slowly
– At the base of the head or at the front
– On both sides of your head.
A tension headache may be caused by:
- Stress
- Lack of rest or sleep
- Muscle stress such as postural imbalance, a history of neck injury, or TMJ (jaw) syndrome
- Psychological factors such as depression or anxiety
- Social factors.
Tension headaches may be relieved by a stable, predictable lifestyle that emphasises good sleep, exercise and a healthy diet and minimises stress.
Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause a range of symptoms including:
- Persistent headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Pins and needles, numbness in hands and arms which may jump to the face or tongue.
Some people with migraine also experience aura – a collection of visual disturbances such as hazy spots, shimmering lights or patterns. And some people also experience ‘brain fog’ or difficulty speaking.
Migraine is a complex condition, influenced by many factors, including your blood vessels, biomechanics, hormones and brain chemicals. Stress may also play a role.
Keeping a migraine diary can help you to identify (and therefore avoid) triggers. Migraines can be triggered by changes in routine or situations that stress your body or mind. Common migraine triggers include:
- Bright lights or loud noises
- Severe heat, or other extremes in weather
- Hormone changes, particularly menstruation, pregnancy or menopause
- Intense activity
- Irregular meals or dehydration
- Sleep disturbances
- Travel.
A cluster headache involves severe one-sided head pain around the eye. As the name suggests, these headaches are experienced in intense bouts or ‘clusters’, which can last from weeks to months.
The pain usually ends just as suddenly as it began. The headaches rapidly decrease, leaving you pain-free, but exhausted.
After the cluster comes a remission period when the headaches stop for some months, or even years.
Cluster headaches are more common in men than women and mostly affect people aged 20-50.
Seek immediate medical care if you experience:
- Sudden onset of a very severe headache
- New headache especially in above 60 years of age
- New signs and symptoms with the headache e.g. numbness, tingling, weakness
- Changes in personality
- Seizures, vomiting
- Persistent headache
- Unable to move neck
- Anticoagulant therapy i.e. warfarin
- Children with headache
- Known cancer
- Pressure in the eyes.
Treating headaches at Aurum Health Care
Persistent headaches are a type of chronic pain – an area of special interest at Aurum Health Care.
Our chiropractors will listen to your symptoms and ask you many questions about your headache symptoms, any known triggers and any patterns you’ve identified. We’ll also review the results of any tests you’ve had and build a detailed picture of your overall health.
Then we’ll conduct a thorough clinical examination, paying close attention to your cervical spine.
Our experienced chiropractors may provide some advice and at-home pain relief, in addition to your treatment session, including:
- Ice or heat
- A supportive neck pillow
- Gentle neck stretches
- Massage
- Rest
- Techniques to promote relaxation and reduce stress
- Improving sleep
- Avoiding aggravating postures or activities
- Exercise and a balanced diet.
With Aurum Health Care, you:
- Finally feel that your headache pain is recognised and understood
- Gain hope that there is a way forward
- Can trust our high level of clinical expertise in chronic pain, which enables us to diagnose and treat your pain after assessing you as a whole person
- Experience streamlined care from one highly skilled chronic pain consultant
- Feel empowered by our clear explanations of your headache condition and equipped to practice self-care methods alongside in-clinic treatments.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH
Call Aurum Health Care on (02) 9899 1416, or