WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HEADACHES

It’s estimated that 50-75% of adults aged 18–65 years in the world have experienced a headache in the last year. What is really staggering is that most people think that headaches are “a part of life”, and something we must “just get on with”. 

I appreciate that sentiment, but the fact is when we are in pain, whether it be from a headache or any other kind, our body is trying to tell us something, and it’s in our health’s interest to listen.  

While they can occur for a variety of reasons, many types of headaches, and even migraines, can be prevented with the right care and lifestyle choices. 

Today, I want to spend a little time talking about a few common headache types, and what you can do to help reduce their frequency and severity. 

If you or someone you know suffers from headaches, then I hope this blog can help. 

Types of headaches

TENSION HEADACHES 

Headache is an extremely broad term, and they can be classed into several different categories. Tension headaches fall into the primary headache category, which means they are the result of an underlying problem. 

In the case of tension headaches, this underlying problem is often caused by stress and muscle tightness around the back of the neck and head. Those who sit at a desk for long periods, work in manual labour, or are under a lot of emotional or physical stress are much more likely to experience these types of headaches. 

Unsurprisingly, given our modern lifestyles, these are the most common type of headache in the world. They are often described, as the name suggests, as a tightness or tension around your head, almost like you have a sweatband tightly squeezing your brain. This usually results in mild to moderate pain and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, and in extreme cases, even days.  

CERVICOGENIC HEADACHES 

Cervicogenic headaches are another type of primary headache, with their cause rooted in a problem with the neck (cervical spine). They can sometimes be difficult to diagnose, as while the pain source is located in the neck, the symptoms are felt in the head and can often mimic migraines and tension headaches.   

It’s thought that 15 to 20 percent of headaches are cervicogenic, and common causes can include whiplash, arthritis, cancer, or infection. They tend to affect one side of your head or face, and the pain usually presents itself as a steady ache, which can steadily worsen over time. 

MIGRAINES

Migraines are an infamous and extremely debilitating form of headache. 

They affect around 1 in 5 women and around 1 in 15 men, so they are by no means rare. In fact, they are thought to affect around 1 billion people worldwide, and there seems to be a genetic factor involved too, so if you have a family history of migraines, you should take extra care. 

Symptoms of migraine attacks can include: 

·      Throbbing pain on one side of the head

·      extreme sensitivity to light and sound

·      nausea

·      blurred vision

Migraines often appear to come out of nowhere, but there are some common triggers you may want to keep an eye out for. These can include increased stress, high caffeine or alcohol intake, bright lights, or even strong smells. 

These triggers can be different for everybody, so pay attention and keep track of what might have triggered your migraine in a journal, so you can try to avoid the onset of attacks in the future.  

How to Prevent Your Headaches 

Despite years of research and studies, we are yet to find a cure for most kinds of headaches, but we do know of several ways you can help limit their frequency and severity:  

1.     MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVELS.

Make sure you are scheduling in some downtime to relax and decompress. Heightened levels of stress for long periods of time can increase muscular tension and lower your immune system’s function, making you more susceptible to tension headaches and other illnesses!

2.     KEEP GOOD POSTURE

When you sit or stand with poor posture, it shortens and lengthens parts of your postural chain, which is the series of muscles that are responsible for keeping your posture aligned. When this happens on a regular basis, these muscles can tense up and weaken, causing imbalances, which can cause symptoms such as headaches. Don’t forget to check in with your posture throughout your day and try to get up to stretch your legs every 30 minutes or so.

3.     LIMIT YOUR SUGAR INTAKE

Sugar affects your brain more than any other organ. If your brain receives a big dose of sugar in a short amount of time, a headache can be triggered due to the rapid changes in your blood sugar levels. This can also be the case if your blood sugar is too low, so if you are getting headaches while skipping meals or fasting, this could be the cause.

4.     CHIROPRACTIC CARE

Chiropractic care can help a range of conditions and isn’t just for bad backs! (Although it also helps with this).

By relieving muscular tension and interference with your nervous system through spinal adjustments, you can help to lower the physical stress in your body, and the chances of getting headaches.

Chiropractic has been shown to be especially effective at preventing migraines by improving nervous system function and decreasing muscular tension.  

Chiropractic is also drug-free and non-invasive making it a very appealing option for those who want to address the root cause of the problem and don’t like taking over the counter medications and painkillers.  

If you have any questions about headaches or would like to discover if chiropractic care can help you, then click here to arrange a call and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Have an amazing day

Nathan