Headaches can disrupt your daily life. The condition affects the majority of the global population at least once in their lifetime. Headaches vary in severity and frequency. Some people experience bearable discomfort infrequently, while others struggle with recurring debilitating pain.
Fortunately, the safe hands-on techniques of your Ventura chiropractor can serve as an effective way to get lasting relief from headaches!
Most Common Types of Headaches
There are about 200 different types of headaches. However, only 3 main types constitute 95% of all. These include:
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches cause mild to moderate discomfort or muscle tightness on both sides of your head without additional symptoms. They do not occur very frequently.
Migraines
Migraines are associated with intense throbbing pain on one side of the head, often lasting several hours. They can happen twice a month on average. In most cases, migraines occur with symptoms including fatigue, nausea, restlessness, and more.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are uncommon but cause severe, piercing pain on one side of the head. They occur abruptly and can strike up to 8 times a day for a period as long as 3 months each year. Cluster headaches commonly lead to droopy eyelids, red and watery eyes, and a stuffy nose on the affected side.
Causes and Risk Factors
Medical professionals have not yet identified the main causes of headaches. However, muscle contraction in the head and neck or the pain receptors reacting to certain triggers can lead to tension headaches and migraines. These triggers include:
- Stress
- Fatigue
- Hormonal changes
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Poor sleep
- Smoke
- Alcohol
- Bright lights
One overlooked cause of headaches is a misalignment in the body. That’s where your Ventura chiropractor can help!
What Can a Chiropractor Do?
If you are suffering from frequent headaches, you might be tempted to obtain relief from prescription medications. However, alternative treatments like chiropractic care can be a highly effective way of addressing chronic headaches, particularly migraines and cluster headaches.
After a comprehensive physical evaluation, your chiropractor might perform manual adjustments in the back or neck to shift the out-of-place bones to their original position. That will relieve pressure from the nerves, targeting the problem at its source and providing lasting relief from headaches.
A combination of manual therapy and lifestyle adjustments is often the key to successful, long-term treatment for headaches. Accordingly, you might be asked to make some lifestyle changes by your chiropractor, such as:
- Managing stress or anxiety
- Exercising
- Improving sleep patterns
- Improving your posture
- Changing your diet
- Limiting alcohol
Contact us, and overcome your headache pain for good without the use of pharmaceuticals with Logan Osland’s Ventura Chiropractic Clinic!
