Some people consider headaches to be one of their most frequent complaints. While most people aren’t fully aware of what causes their headaches, there are clear signs, or “triggers”.
Headache Triggers
The common headache has many causes, or “triggers.” Anything from certain foods to particular behaviors like exercise and sleep cycles, can be trigger a headache. More common triggers are things like stress, loud noises, or over exposure to certain types of lighting. Most headaches are considered primary headaches such as migraines, cluster headaches or tension. Primary headaches are not the symptom of a disease in the body, and the headache itself should be the primary concern.
There are also a small percentage of headaches that represent a warning signal from the body, that something else is wrong.
According to chiropractic doctor George B. McClelland, “The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck…Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture”. When this happens, most people experience muscle tension in the upper back and neck, as well as joint irritation. This, is what actually is causing your head to ache.
So, What Can I Do?
It actually depends on the type of headache you have. Sometimes, a low impact exercise routine can help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. But…if you are they type that gets a more dull, throbbing headache…you may want to stay away from a heavy exercise regimen. Try picking up something like walking or low energy aerobics.
Now, if you are a workaholic and spend most of your time at a desk, in front of a computer….just be sure to take breaks every half hour. Get up, stretch, and take a couple of deep breaths. Be sure to stretch your head and neck through a nice, comfortable range of motion.
Do you find yourself clenching your teeth? If so, than this could be the cause of your headache. Clenching might result in stress caused on the joints that connect your skull with your jaw. This can lead to TMJ irritation and be the cause of tension headaches.
Here’s the big one, DRINK LOTS OF WATER! At least 64oz per day is whats recommended to avoid dehydration, a huge cause of headaches.
How Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Help?
If you get the pesky primary headaches, here are a few things that your chiropractor can do to help:
- Provide you with personalized advice on your posture, whether it be in the car, at work, at home, etc.
- Suggest some dietary and nutritional changes.
- In the event that you are having serious headaches, your chiropractor can perform spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments) to alleviate that unnecessary stress on your body.
Chiropractors go through extensive training in order to help their patients in a variety of ways. The tension created in the spine can translate to other problems in the head, neck and back. If you are having headaches, please contact us to see how we can help.
