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There are many types of headaches, but one thing they all have in common is that they’re painful. When they become chronic — that is, you have headaches more days than you don’t — they can make doing the simplest of tasks enormously difficult.
If you’ve never considered chiropractic care to relieve your chronic headache pain, you may be missing an important treatment approach that could bring you more headache-free days.
When you think about chiropractic care, you probably think about spinal manipulation, and if you have chronic headaches, you may well benefit from a spinal adjustment. When your spine is properly aligned, your entire body functions better.
There are a few reasons that spinal manipulation is often beneficial for people who get frequent headaches. Remember, your spinal column protects nerves that connect to every part of your body, and nerves send pain signals. When each vertebra is where it needs to be, there’s less likelihood of one of those nerves being irritated.
Additionally, chiropractic adjustments can help correct misalignments that cause you to sit, stand, or move in ways that increase stress on your muscles and other soft tissues. All of the structures of your musculoskeletal system function better when your bones are in the proper position.
Even if your headaches aren’t directly caused by stress, there’s a good chance that stress increases the frequency and intensity of them. Chiropractic care relieves tension in your muscles through adjustments. Many people also report that the experience of a chiropractic adjustment itself reduces their level of stress.
There’s also evidence that spinal manipulation triggers the release of certain hormones that reduce pain and tell your body to relax. Neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol were all found to increase following chiropractic intervention.
If you have chronic headaches, you likely have specific headache triggers. Certain environmental conditions, foods, beverages, or other sensory input can cause, or trigger, headaches. Our staff can help you identify your triggers, as well as provide general nutritional advice that may help you experience fewer headaches.
Chiropractors are experts in biomechanics, how the different parts of your body work together to allow you to move comfortably. One element of your chiropractic care is help in evaluating your environment to make sure that your workspace is ergonomically correct and that the way you exercise and relax aren’t increasing your tension or harming your alignment.
We can work with you to develop an exercise routine to help you maintain health and limit the number of headaches you experience. Exercise can be challenging for people with chronic headaches, but we help you find what works for you.
In addition, our team can identify relaxation techniques for you to practice between visits. Relaxation is a critical part of lowering stress levels, and less stress can mean fewer headaches.
If you’d like to learn more about how chiropractic can help relieve your chronic headache pain, book an appointment online or by phone at White Integrated Clinic. We’re happy to answer your questions and provide treatment suggestions tailored to your individual situation.
