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There are many spinal stenosis treatment options you should consider before resorting to surgery.  Most patients with spinal stenosis respond well to non-surgical treatments such as medication, physical therapy, and gentle chiropractic care. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal, typically caused by age, injury, or congenital disorder. The condition can cause difficulty […]

Acupuncture for Pain Relief

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Acupuncture has been used to relieve pain for centuries and is used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It involves the insertion of needles into specific points on the body. The needles are inserted into the skin and manipulated. This promotes a healthy flow of energy, or “chi”, through the body.  It is believed that this […]

Gentle Chiropractic Care Techniques

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Gentle chiropractic care techniques have many advantages over traditional chiropractic care. There are over 150 different chiropractic techniques 1 chiropractors can use to treat pain and alleviate other symptoms. Gentle chiropractic uses techniques that don’t require you to be twisted into a pretzel. There’s no twisting, snapping, or wrestling involved.  Gentle chiropractic is more comfortable […]

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Acupuncture and Gentle Chiropractic Pain Relief for Stuart and Palm City

You are here: Home / Conditions chiropractors treat / Chiropractic Treatment of Headaches

Chiropractic Treatment of Headaches

A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp or neck. The severity, symptoms and causes of headaches vary. Any headache suffered can attest that a headache can stop the strongest and bravest in their tracks.

Headaches are the second most common cause for visits to primary medical offices.

Fortunately, only 1% of those headaches are due to a serious underlying intracranial pathology.

Two Types of Headaches

When you talk to your medical provider about your headaches, the first thing your practitioner will determine is whether your headache is primary or secondary.

Primary headaches are due to an over activity of pain-sensitive structures and may be due to chemical imbalance, blood vessel structure on your head, muscles in your neck or a combination of these factors.

The most common types of primary headache are:

In some cases, lifestyle factors play a important role as the cause for primary headaches.  Some common headache triggers are:

  • Certain foods, such as foods containing nitrates
  • Alcohol
  • Muscle Spasms from poor posture
  • Hunger
  • Stress

Secondary headaches are due to underlying disease. A wide variety of disease varying in severity can cause secondary headaches.

Some types of secondary headaches are:

  • TMJ dysfunction
  • Sinusitis
  • Hypertension
  • Temporal arteritis
  • Subarachnoid hemorrhage
  • Brain tumor or abscess
  • Meningitis
  • Myofascial pain syndrome
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Drug rebound headache

Many times it is difficult to determine whether a headache is primary or secondary in nature without a thorough medical examination.

Headaches are the second most common cause for visits to primary medical offices. Fortunately, only 1% of those headaches are due to a serious underlying intracranial pathology.

It’s important to note that a headache can be a symptom of a serious condition, such as a stroke, meningitis or encephalitis.

Headaches can occur suddenly or gradually and may last anywhere from hours to several days.

While most headaches aren’t life threatening, they can present in many different ways. Headache pain can be on

  • one side of the head,
  • both sides of the head,
  • in a band around the head,
  • around the eye
  • or radiate from one location on the head to another.

When to seek emergency care for your headache

Seek immediate help if you have the worst headache of your life, a sudden, severe headache or a headache accompanied by:

  • Confusion or trouble understanding speech
  • Fainting
  • High fever, greater than 102 F to 104 F (39 C to 40 C)
  • Numbness, weakness or paralysis on one side of your body
  • Stiff neck
  • Trouble seeing
  • Trouble speaking
  •  Trouble walking
  • Nausea or vomiting (if not clearly related to the flu or a hangover)

You should seek medical attention immediately if your headaches are:

  • Worsening/don’t improve with OTC medication
  • Increase in frequency
  • Increase in severity
  • Interfere with daily tasks
  • You are personally unable to manage/cope with your symptoms

Many people who experience headaches choose to treat them by simply taking over the counter medications rather than address the underlying reason for their headache.  Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to determine whether headaches could be the sign of a  life threatening condition without a thorough medical evaluation.

If you’re having headaches of any kind,  you should have your headaches checked by a qualified medical professional such as a chiropractor or medical doctor.

Call Advanced Wellness Solutions at (772) 403-7640 to schedule your appointment for an evaluation.