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Tension Headaches

Tension Headaches And How Chiropractic Can Help Relieve The Pain

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We live in a stressful world. Life happens; it moves so fast. There are pressures coming at you from all directions. Eventually it catches up with you and it’s your body that bears the brunt of it. Tension are your body’s way of telling you that it is under stress – probably too much stress.

It’s hard to escape stress in today’s society so if you find that you are exhibiting physical symptoms of stress, it might be time to make some changes. If tension headaches are one of those symptoms, you’re in good company – about 90% of adults in the US have headaches. Many of them are tension headaches.

Symptoms of Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are distinctive and can be very painful. The good news is, they are rarely an indication of a more serious condition – other than a stressful lifestyle. Some of the most common symptoms of tension headaches include:

  • Muscle tightness in the neck, jaw, and shoulders – may also be sore.
  • Headache that originates at the back of the head and moves forward over the top and sides.
  • Sleep problems.
  • Squeezing pain or dull pressure in the head, may also be described as a tight band or vice around the head.
  • Trouble eating.
  • Pain or pressure in both sides of the head equally.

Sometimes tension headache symptoms can occur prior to a migraine. In other words, a tension headache can turn into a migraine headache and may be considered a migraine trigger.

Causes of Tension Headaches

The actual cause of tension headaches is not known. Researchers have some idea of potential triggers, but recent advancements in medicine have debunked the belief that they are caused by the tightening of muscles in the scalp, shoulders, neck, and jaw. Scientific tests show that then a person has a tension headache, muscle tension does not increase. Newer theories indicate that a likelier cause involves changes neurotransmitters (chemicals in the brain) which includes serotonin. This is similar to a migraine.

While researchers do not know the exact levels of neurotransmitter fluctuations, they do have evidence that it activates the brain’s pain pathways. The tightness in the muscles could be part of the physiological changes that trigger the fluctuations in neurotransmitters, or the neurotransmitter fluctuations could cause muscle tightness.

Some common triggers of tension headaches include:

  • Stress
  • Clenching the jaw
  • Alcohol or drugs
  • Overexertion
  • Certain medications (even some medications for headaches which can cause rebound headaches)
  • Keeping your head in one position for too long (like using a cell phone or computer)
  • Depression
  • Fatigue
  • Grinding teeth
  • Neck or head injury (even old injuries)
  • Sleeping in a cold room or in an awkward position.
  • Arthritis
  • Anxiety
  • Hormonal changes
  • Sleeping on a worn-out mattress or the wrong pillow
  • Dehydration
  • Skipping meals
  • Eye strain

Certain foods can also be triggers for tension headaches. Additives and preservatives in prepared foods, even high sodium, can cause a headache.

Sinus and allergy problems can also accompany or lead to tension headaches.

Tension Headache Treatment

Over the counter and prescription medication may be recommended for tension headaches, but a good portion of the treatment involves lifestyle changes. Relaxation techniques, dietary changes, and exercise are all common treatments for tension headaches. Patients may be advised to stop smoking, limit alcohol consumption, or avoid certain foods.

Many patients find that keeping a headache journal is very useful in pinpointing triggers. There are several headache tracking apps that you can install on your smartphone and use them to get a better handle on your headaches.

Chiropractic for Tension Headaches

Chiropractic is a very effective, natural treatment for tension headaches. In addition to recommended lifestyle changes, the chiropractor may also make adjustments to realign the vertebrae and spine. The chiropractor may also use massage and other treatments that encourage relaxation of the muscles and relieve stress. He or she will use spinal manipulation of the neck and upper back to bring the body back into alignment, relieving not only the pain, but the tension as well.

Call (780)455-2112 to schedule your assessment with one of our wellness chiropractic doctors!

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A Tension Headache or A Migraine? How to Tell the Difference

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Headaches are a real pain (insert eye-roll here). Many individuals suffer from them, and there are a variety of causes, symptoms, and treatment options. For some, they are a rare occurrence, while others deal with them on a weekly, or even daily, basis. They can range from minor inconveniences to full-fledged life changing afflictions.

The first step in treating headaches is to understand the type of headache you are experiencing. Some people think they have a migraine, when in fact, they are suffering from a tension headache. While tension headaches are more common, it’s estimated by the Migraine Research Foundation that 1 in 4 U.S. Households include someone with a migraine.

Determining which headache being dealt with takes a bit of research. Individuals suffering from headaches need to ask themselves these questions to determine if they are having a migraine, or experiencing a tension headache.

When in life did the headaches begin? According to the Mayo Clinic, migraines begin in adolescence or early adulthood. In contrast, tension headaches can start at any time in a person’s life. If an adult just began suffering from headaches, they are most likely tension headaches.

Where does it hurt? Migraines typically occur on one side of the head. Tension headaches affect both sides of the head, and can produce a feeling of pressure at the forehead area. The location of the pain is a key indicator of the type of headache.

What kind of pain is it? If it is a dull pain, a feeling of pressure, or tenderness around the scalp, it’s most likely a tension headache. If, on the other hand, the pain is a throbbing or pulsing pain, it could be a migraine. Both headaches can offer up severe pain, just different types.

Are there any other symptoms? Migraines typically come with symptoms beyond head pain. Nausea, light and sound sensitivity, seeing bright flashing or sparkling lights, pins and needle sensations down one or both arms, or dizziness are common. Individuals who don’t experience any of these symptoms are most likely dealing with a tension headache.

Can you function? While painful and frustrating, many people with a tension headache can still perform their jobs, drive, read, and deal with daily life. A migraine is a different story. Lying in a dark, quiet room with a sleep mask on until the headache passes is how most people handle migraines. If the headache is life-disrupting, it could very well be a migraine.

Do normal pain killers work? Tension headaches can often be relieved by over-the-counter pain medications. Migraines don’t budge with these treatments. Once a migraine is in full force, the sufferer generally must ride it out. If a headache reacts well to a couple of non-prescription pain killers, it’s most likely a tension headache.

The majority of individuals will unfortunately deal with a headache at one point in their lives. It’s important to note that tension headaches are much more common than migraines, but that doesn’t rule out the possibility of the headache being a migraine. The answers to the above questions combined together give insight as to the type of headache occurring, and how best to proactively handle the treatment. No matter the type of headache, if the pain is severe, or begins after a head injury, seek medical treatment immediately.

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What Chiropractic Patients Want To Know About Occipital Neuralgia

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Many headaches that people classify as migraines are actually not migraines at all. Two of the most common headaches confused with migraines are sinus headaches and occipital neuralgia.

The condition can be debilitating but there are treatments, including chiropractic, that are very effective. Understanding occipital neuralgia can help patients better manage it so they can minimize the pain and symptoms of the condition.

What is occipital neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia is a neurological condition that affects the occipital nerves which run from the top portion of the spinal cord, through the scalp, transmitting messages to and from the brain. There are two greater occipital nerves, one on each side of the head, from between the vertebrae located in the upper neck through the muscles that are located at the base of the skull and back of the head.

While they do not cover the areas on or near the ears or over the face, they can extend over the scalp as far as the forehead. When those nerves are injured or become inflamed, occipital neuralgia is the result. A person with this condition may experience pain at the base of their skull or the back of their head.

What are the symptoms of occipital neuralgia?

Pain is the prevalent symptom of occipital neuralgia. It often mimics the pain of migraine headaches or cluster headaches and is described as throbbing, burning, and aching.

There may also be intermittent shooting or shocking pain. Typically, the pain begins at the base of the skull but may radiate along the side of the scalp or in the back of the head. Other symptoms include:

  • Pain is experienced on one side (but sometimes both sides)
  • Pain behind the eye of the side that is affected
  • Tenderness in the scalp
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Pain triggered by neck movement

What causes occipital neuralgia?

Irritation or pressure to the occipital nerves are what actually cause the pain. This may be due to tight muscles in the neck that squeeze or trap the nerves, injury, or inflammation.

However, much of the time doctors are unable to determine the cause. There are several medical conditions linked to occipital neuralgia:

  • Tight neck muscles
  • Diabetes
  • Trauma or injury to the back of the head
  • Gout
  • Tension in the neck muscles
  • Whiplash
  • Inflammation of the blood vessels in and around the neck
  • Infection
  • Neck tumors
  • Cervical disc disease
  • Osteoarthritis

What are the treatments for occipital neuralgia?

Occipital neuralgia treatment focuses on pain relief. It often begins with conservative treatments that include:

  • Rest
  • Heat
  • Physical therapy
  • Anti-inflammatory over the counter medication
  • Massage
  • Chiropractic

In more severe cases the patient may be prescribed a stronger anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxants or in some cases an anticonvulsant medication.

If these therapies are not effective or do not bring about the desired level of pain relief, then doctors may recommend percutaneous nerve blocks and steroids. Sometimes surgery is recommended in cases where the pain is severe, chronic, and is unresponsive to more conservative treatments.

Chiropractic for occipital neuralgia

Chiropractic was once considered an “alternative” treatment for occipital neuralgia, but now it is often a regular part of recommended patient care. The advantage of chiropractic over medication or surgery is that chiropractic does not come with the side effects of drugs or the risks of surgery.

Another advantage is that chiropractic seeks to correct the root of the problem, not just manage the pain like other treatments.

Chiropractic treatment for occipital neuralgia may include lift adjustments, heat, massage, and traction. This will bring the body back into proper alignment and take the pressure off of the nerves as it loosens the neck muscles.

The patient stands a better chance of staying pain free when taking this treatment route.

Give us a call to schedule your appointment with one of our highly skilled chiropractors! (780)455-2112 or visit www.ocwc.ca for more health information and tips!

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What Chiropractic Patients Want to Know About Tension Headaches

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Tension headaches are the most prevalent types of headaches, occurring more often in women than in men. Research shows that 48 percent of women and 38 percent of men suffer from tension headaches.

Each year, patients spend more than $2 billion on over the counter headache medications. In fact, people spend a lot of money and effort seeking remedies for headaches. From prescription medication to over the counter drugs to alternative headache treatments like meditation, acupuncture, and chiropractic.

In fact, chiropractic is a proven treatment for tension headaches, but there is more to it than just adjustments. Chiropractic offers a whole body approach to treatment that can not only relieve the pain of tension headaches, but help prevent them as well.

What are Tension Headaches?

The most common type of headache is the tension headache which is described as pain ranging from mild to moderate that feels like a tight band is wrapped around the head. While stress can be a factor in the cause of these headaches, it still isn’t well understood how these headaches originate. Symptoms of a tension headache include:

  • Aching, dull pain in the head
  • Sensation of pressure or tightness on the back and sides of the head or across the forehead
  • Tenderness in the shoulder muscles, neck, and scalp

There are two categories of tension headaches: chronic and episodic. There are two primary factors that identify each type. The length of the headache and the frequency can help you determine which type of tension headache you have.

  • Chronic Tension Headaches
    • Length of Headache – hours and can be continuous
    • Frequency of Headache – occur 15 days or more a month for three or more months
  • Episodic Tension Headaches
    • Length of Headache – half hour to a week
    • Frequency of Headache – occur less than 15 days a month for three or more months

There are two primary risk factors for tension headaches:

  • Women – Research shows that nearly 90 percent of women will experience tension headaches throughout the course of their life. Only 70 percent of men will experience tension headaches in their lifetime.
  • Middle Age – Tension headaches increase as people approach 40 and peak at middle age, or when a person is in their 40s. However, anyone can get a tension headache, regardless of age.

Lifestyle Changes to Treat Tension Headaches

A chiropractor can treat tension headaches through traditional spinal manipulation and adjustments, but they also provide advice on lifestyle and nutrition. Several things that your chiropractor may suggest include applying heat or ice to the area around your neck, shoulders, or head. A warm bath or shower may also help.

Stress management is another way that you can learn to manage and prevent tension headaches. This is typically a combination of minimizing stress in your life and learning relaxation techniques. Your chiropractor may also help you improve your posture. Poor posture is a very common contributing factor for many types of headaches.

Chiropractic for Tension Headaches

Your Doctor of Chiropractic will sit down with you to discuss your history, including your headaches. He or she will conduct diagnostic tests including x-rays, MRIs and other to determine if there are underlying causes for your headaches. They will recommend various lifestyle changes including dietary changes and exercises that you can do.

Your doctor may also perform chiropractic adjustments, or spinal manipulation which will help return the body to proper balance, improving spinal function and alleviating stress on the body and system. This helps to relieve pain as an immediate treatment, but when performed consistently, chiropractic can also help prevent tension headaches, allowing you to live pain free.

How Chiropractic Helps Those That Suffer From Migraine Headaches

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If you’ve ever had a migraine you know that it’s more than just a headache. The debilitating pain can be accompanied by nausea and other symptoms – and it’s more common than you may think.

It is estimated that 18 percent of women suffer from migraines while 6 percent of men are migraine sufferers. It most commonly affects people who are between the ages of 25 and 55, but even young children have been diagnosed. Migraines can stop you in your tracks, but there are treatments that can help. Chiropractic care has been shown to help ease the pain, intensity, and frequency of migraines.

What is a Migraine?

Migraines are vicious headaches that can last several minutes to several hours or even days. It is characterized by intense pulsing or a throbbing sensation that is typically confined to one area of the head. It is often accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and extreme sensitivity to sound and light. The pain can be so severe that you can barely function. Many people find themselves confined to bed in a darkened room, waiting for it to pass.

Many times migraine sufferers report experiencing an aura, or sensory warning symptoms, such as strange smells, blind spots, flashes of light, or tingling in your leg or arm. They also tend to run in families. If one parent is a migraine sufferer the child has a 40 percent chance of having migraines as well. If both parents get migraines that chance jumps to 90 percent. It is the 8th most debilitating illness on a global scale.

For the most part, doctors do not know much about what causes migraines. However, there are some things that have been identified as migraine triggers:

  • Hormonal changes – at certain times during the month, women experience fluctuations in estrogen which can trigger migraines
  • Oral contraceptives – medications that change or replace hormones can make headaches worse
  • Certain foods – processed foods, MSG, salty foods, aged cheeses
  • Fasting or skipping meals
  • Aspartame
  • Alcohol
  • Stress
  • Sensory overstimulation
  • Dehydration
  • Intense physical exertion
  • Too much or too little sleep
  • Medications

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Migraine Sufferers

Many doctors believe that headaches and migraines may be caused by a spine that is out of alignment. When your spine is misaligned your entire body suffers. It can irritate the nerves that run from the brain to the spine causing a headache. Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve the pain of migraines. In fact, many people report a distinct difference after just one session.

A Doctor of Chiropractic will align your spine and work with you to create a wellness plan that includes lifestyle changes and diet. Making changes to your sleep patterns and eliminating certain foods from your diet can help prevent migraines. By creating a whole body wellness program, you and your chiropractor can not only help prevent your migraines, but other health conditions as well.

Your chiropractor may also recommend that you keep a journal to help you pinpoint your own unique migraine triggers. You will record the foods you eat, environmental factors that may affect you, stressors, and sleep patterns, as well as when you have migraines, how long they last, and their severity. By tracking these things, you can determine what may be causing your migraines and make adjustments to your lifestyle, thus preventing them. Incorporating chiropractic care as part of your whole body maintenance, as well as migraine prevention, can help you stave off these headaches so you can get on with your life.

If you or a loved one suffers from migraine headaches, make sure you give our office a call at 780-455-2112. Our Doctor of Chiropractic is here to help!

How Acupuncture Has Changed the Perception of Healthy Living

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Acupuncture is a universal healing technique that comes from the ancient and rich shores of China. A mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine, it is the practice of inserting thin needles into your skin to stimulate points. It helps improve the body’s overall functioning and promotes the self-healing process.
Like other therapies, acupuncture involves a plethora of different techniques. The most commonly used method is the one where very thin, sterile needles are inserted into your skin to stimulate acupoints. Pressure, heat or electrical stimulation may also be used to enhance its effects.

Does It Hurt? When you think about needles being inserted into your skin, you’re bound to feel a little scared. However, surprisingly, treatments are actually pain free. The most popular uses are to reduce chronic pain in your body – so the question of it causing pain never really arises.

1. It Reduces Headaches!

After much research, it has been proven that acupuncture is the best way to get rid of chronic, tension-related headaches. Although many in the medical fieled refuse to acknowledge acupuncture as a treatment, no one can deny that it works.
During the treatment, the therapist will insert needles in specific areas of your body, which will give you a relief in migraines and headaches. It not only reduces the frequency but also the intensity the headaches come with.

2. Get Rid of Chronic Pains

Chronic pains are the worst! If you’re a young guy or girl, these pains will make you feel old and drain the life out of you. When you are experiencing pains in your back, neck, or knee, life becomes a hassle. Acupuncture has been proven to be the most effective treatment for back pain.
As mentioned before, many studies prove that these treatments an cure chronic pain for good – something not many traditional medicinal practices can boast of. In fact, acupuncture is fast becoming a referral option for many open-minded doctors as well.

3. Sleep Well

Sleep deprivation can lead to a very moody day, week, month and even life. A study showed that people that were taking medication for sleep got much better, peaceful sleep when they added acupuncture to their regime. Many sleeping pills come with side effects, while there are none with acupuncture. Which is the better choice – you decide!

4. Helps Cancer Recovery

Acupuncture can stimulate immunity and speed-up recovery for cancer patients. Treatments can enhances the immune system, increases platelet count and prevents the destruction of healthy cells that comes with chemotherapy. On top of that, chemotherapy is a painful process. Acupuncture goes a long way in easing that pain.

5. Prevent Cognitive Decline

Acupuncture has showed effectiveness for Parkinson’s disorder too. Treatments help generate neural responses in some areas of your brain, more specifically the putamen and thalamus that are the most affected by this disorder. A study shows that 20 patients were treated with 16 acupuncture sessions and they had significant improvements in their everyday life because of it.

If you are interested in booking your session. Give our clinic a call @ 780-455-2112 and our staff will be happy to help you.