The Natural Approach To Treating Headaches

Many people take prescription and non-prescription pain killers for their headaches but, instead of masking symptoms with toxic chemicals there is a better way to managing headaches. It is a natural approach. The first step is to try to figure out all the different types of triggers which may be causing your headaches. These may include food allergies, inadequate sleep, lack of stress management, too much coffee, etc. and are all common causes which are easily corrected. What else can you do to productively manage your headaches or migraines. You may wish to get your spine checked for vertebral misalignment and poor posture to see if there are mechanical stressors which may be irritating your spine and nervous system. Chiropractors focus on the spine, but they take the whole body system into consideration in order to facilitate the body’s natural healing processes. The body’s systems are so complex and interrelated that just because you are feeling the pain of a headache in your head, it doesn’t mean that is where the pain began. Often an upper cervical misalignment may alter blood flow to the brain or pull on the meningeal covering of the brain. The C1 vertebra actual has direct connections to the meningeal covering of the brain and the meninges are the only place where pain can be felt. Additionally, a lab work up may be needed to find out if you have any nutritional deficiencies.

If you have been suffering with headaches or migraines call today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. We can sit down together and discuss your case. Take the first step to feeling better now by calling us today.

Types of Headaches

Just about everyone experiences a headache at some point in their life, but the patters may be very different. Some people only experience pain in one part of their head or behind their eyes while some people experience a pounding sensation inside their whole head and yet others experience nausea. The pain itself may range from dull to sharp and may last anywhere from a few minutes to a few days. Very few headaches have serious underlying causes, but those that do require urgent medical attention.

Headaches and migraines affect over 25 million Americans each year includes men, women and children. There are many different types of headaches, over 300 in all and each type of headache has its own unique presentation and symptoms. There are three common types of headaches that most people suffer from.

Tension Headaches

Tension type headaches are the most common and affect 75% of all headache sufferers. Tension headaches are usually described as a constant dull, achy feeling and may be experienced on one side or both sides of the head. Patients often describe this type of headache as a band or dull ache around the head or behind the eyes. These headaches come on slowly and gradually increase in intensity throughout the day. They may last anywhere from minutes to days, and tend to begin in the middle or toward the end of the day. Although the pain can be severe at times, they are usually not associated with other symptoms, such as nausea, throbbing or vomiting. Tension headaches are often the result of stress or bad posture, which stresses the spine and muscles in the upper back and neck.

Migraine Headaches

About 25 million people in the U.S. experience migraine headaches each year, some more than once, and the majority are women. Migraines are intense and throbbing headaches that are often associated with nausea and sensitivity to light or noise. Migraines last from as a few hours to as long as a few days. Many of those who suffer from migraines experience visual symptoms called an aura. The aura often occurs just prior to an attack that is often described as seeing flashing lights or that everything takes on a dream-like appearance.

Migraines are caused by a constriction of the blood vessels in the brain, which irritates the meningeal covering of the brain, followed by a dilation of blood vessels. Even in people who don’t experience the classic migraine aura, most of them can tell that an attack is immanent. Once the blood vessels dilate, there is a rapid increase in blood pressure inside the head and it is this increased pressure that leads to the pounding headache. Each time the heart beats it sends blood through the carotid arteries in the neck up into the brain increasing inter-cranial pressure for that split second.

There are numerous theories on why the blood vessels constrict, but no one knows for sure. What is know, there are a number of things that can trigger migraines, such as lack of sleep, stress, flickering lights, strong odors, changing weather patterns and several foods; especially foods that are high in an amino acid called ‘tyramine.’You can reduce the likelihood of migraine headaches by making some lifestyle changes.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are typically very short in duration, excruciating headaches, usually felt on one side of the head behind the eyes. Cluster headaches affect about 1 million people in the United States and, unlike migraines, are much more common in men. This is the only type of headache that tends to occur at night. The reason that they are called ‘cluster’ headaches is that they tend to occur one to four times per day over a period of several days. After one cluster of headaches is over, it may be months or even years, before they occur again. Like migraines, cluster headaches are likely to be related to a dilation of the blood vessels in the brain, causing a localized increase in pressure.

Medical Approach to Headaches

The medical approach to treating headaches typically comes in the form of over the counter drugs such as aspirin, Tylenol, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium. Prescription strength headache drugs are typically triptans, steroids, antidepressants, opioids, and anti-convulsive. This approach may not be for everyone. Drugs do not cure headaches, they only mask symptoms. Additionally they’re toxic and may have long-term effects on the kidneys and liver. They’re expensive and they have numerous side effects, such as drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, high blood pressure, weight gain, mood swings, dependency, addiction, worsening of headaches (rebound), itching, respiratory problems, weakened immune system, trouble sleeping, dry mouth, difficulty urinating, impotence, blurry vision and in the most sever cases death.