Headaches: Common but Not Normal

Headaches can affect anyone at any age and even though they are very common, they aren’t considered normal. Headaches can actually be an indication or an alert to you something is wrong within your body. Johns Hopkins Medical considers a headache to be “pain or discomfort in the head or face.” Each headache can vary in intensity, frequency, and the location. There are many types of headaches but the most common types are cluster, migraine,  tension, cervicogenic headaches. 

Cluster Headaches are less common than migraine and tension headaches, but can be just as severe. Cluster headaches are short, sharp bursts of pain on one side occurring frequently and can go for weeks or months. 

Migraines often come with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sounds. This is all accompanied with the pain of the headache itself. This type of headache can be debilitating and last hours or even days. 

Tension Headaches are the most common type of headache. They are often caused by stress, poor posture, and tension in the muscles. This headache is usually described as a dull and consistent pain. 

Cervicogenic headache is a chronic, recurrent headache that begins in the neck and occurs on one side feeling it in the head or face. You can experience reduced range of motion and it can be confused with a migraine or tension type headaches.

Every headache is also classified as primary or secondary. Primary headaches means the headache isn’t from an underlying condition or disease. The headache itself is a medical problem. Other factors like dehydration, hormone changes, poor posture, and certain foods may be contributing to the reason for this type of headache. Secondary headaches, however, are because of an underlying condition and it is recognized as a symptom or sign of a bigger problem. These symptoms could be due to eye problems, jaw or teeth issues, sinus infections or a neck injury. 

One way to prevent headaches is to recognize if there are any triggers for them and to avoid or minimize your exposure to them. 

If you are suffering from chronic headaches and want a natural, non-invasive way to treat them, chiropractors are trained to treat and identify problems. By aligning the spine and correcting any imbalances, chiropractic care can relieve pressure on the nerves or muscles that lead to head pain. Chiropractic care can also improve posture and relieve stress, which are two other factors that can lead to headaches. 

Call Midwest Pain Solutions to schedule a no-cost consultation with Dr. Jackson Draeger today! Our high-intensity laser therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and extracorporeal shockwave therapy can relieve your pain! 

You can learn more about headaches at: 

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1468-2982.2002.00423.x

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9639-headaches