Headaches are a topic I personally love. They tend to be a lot more complex than most people realize. There are actually several different kinds: classic migraines, non-classical migraines, tension headaches, cluster, cervico-genic (resulting from pain in the neck), and a few more! Each type has its own set of symptoms that set them apart from another and it’s important to know those differences. A lot of my new patients think they have migraines because of how intense their headaches are. In fact, a lot of those patients actually have tension or neck-related headaches. Sadly, many different kinds of headaches can cause debilitating levels of pain, not just migraines.

If your clinician doesn’t pay enough attention, they could misdiagnose your headaches, leading to improper treatment. The good news: chiropractic can help all of them!

Migraine headaches have recently been tied to a loss of posture and curvature of the neck. That’s our specialty! Our chiropractors at Cardinal Chiropractic and Sports Recovery specialize in postural syndromes that CAUSE your pain. An article in the Journal of Headache and Pain in 2011 found chiropractic care equally effective for migraine sufferers as prescriptive medications. As many as 15% of the American population suffers from migraines. Don’t allow yourself to be one of them!

The results should be obvious for cervico-genic headaches sufferers right? If you said “of course!” you would be correct! Headaches resulting from pain and tension in your neck are very successfully managed by chiropractic physicians. An article written in the Spine Journal in 2009 stated that patients under the care of a chiropractor noticed their pain levels reduced by 50% or more.

Tension headaches result from high levels of stress. We all have stress right? Who doesn’t! Work and finances are typically the biggest contributors to stress levels, with finances being the larger of the two causes. Your body’s stress hormone is called Cortisol. It’s released during stressful situations to help you during your “fight or flight” response. So in the short term it’s very useful. When you allow levels or cortisol to remain high in your blood stream for too long, cortisol starts to damage your tissue and leads to irregularities with other adrenal hormones. Good news! Chiropractic care reduces cortisol levels in the body. We help with the neck, shoulder, and upper back tension that can result in headaches.

Notice a pattern? Headaches can be treated!! And very successfully under the care of a chiropractor. Don’t let yourself, a family member, or friend suffer any longer with pain they don’t have to endure.

Dr. Andy, your Burlington NC chiropractor, specializes in providing evidence-based, conservative care for our Alamance County desk workers, teachers, and Crossfit athletes. Schedule an appointment with him today via our website or call us at 336-270-3050.