Tension Headache Relief | Chiropractor San Diego

Tension Headache Relief in San Diego

Tension headache relief can be complicated. Tension headache relief will depend largely on how often the attacks are and how severe the pain is. Maybe you just had your first migraine and you never want to have another, or maybe you’ve suffered migraines for years and doubt that any tension headache relief will ever be successful for you.

There are some similarities in symptoms, migraine treatment and tension headache relief are two entirely different processes, and demand different approaches to pain management.

Taking Charge of Your Headaches: A  Guide for Pain Management

You have a headache? You certainly are not alone! Fifty-nine percent of Canadian adults report suffering from some form of headache. Headaches can be debilitating, but most often feel like unpleasant discomfort, pain or pressure that can be addressed by manual therapies, relaxation and rest, hydration and even short-term use of pain medication.Yet, in severe cases, the pain can be unbearable and last for many hours or even days.

In 2010, an estimated 2.7 million Canadians reported being diagnosed with a migraine headache. Research indicates that the number of migraine sufferers is likely under-estimated since not everyone seeks care from a healthcare professional, and are likely undiagnosed. Read more here.

The most common cause of tension headaches is subluxations in the upper back and neck, especially the upper neck, usually in combination with active trigger points.

Neck Pain and Headaches

How Neck Pain Can Cause Headaches
Anatomically and physiologically, the upper 3 cervical spinal roots (located at C1, C2, and C3) share a pain nucleus (which routes pain signals to the brain) with the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is the main sensory nerve that carries messages from your face to your brain.

The upper 3 cervical spine nerve roots send fibers toward the head that converge on the trigeminal nuclei, which are located at the very top of the spinal cord. These nuclei relay pain messages through the the trigemino-cervical tract.

Think of the trigemino-cervical tract as a relay station where pain signals are sent via nerve tracts first to the thalamus in the midbrain, and then to the higher cortical region of the brain. It is at these thalamic and cortical centers that pain acquires its defining qualities, including severity, meaning, how the body should respond to it, and where it originated.

The brain is not good at defining the precise location of pain that comes from the neck. This is why the brain usually mistakes upper cervical spine pain as a headache.  See more here.

Relief for tension headaches can be hard to find, especially for people who get them almost every day.

How to get relief from headaches

Although it’s my favorite time of year, my office also gets inundated with migraine sufferers as well as tension and seasonal headaches. Why does the fall impact our head with a splitting, pounding, achy feeling in the fall? Well, a number of factors have been linked to migraines and many can be avoided to reduce your chances of suffering from an extreme headache or migraine.

The most important things you can actively do to support ideal head pressure:

1.      Eat a low sugar diet but don’t skip meals or go hungry as the fluctuations in blood sugar can also cause a headache to spike midday.

2.      Get to bed at the same time each night if possible and sleep in a dark room or use an eye mask.

Read full article here.

Treatments for tension headaches are available.

One of the most commonly used methods for treating tension headaches is to use an over-the-counter pain medication. Some headaches respond well to medication and rest, so often they do not come to the attention of a doctor.

Each individual’s case is different and requires a thorough evaluation of a proper course of chiropractic care can be determined or whether your headache treatment is best served by chiropractic care. If you want to have your headache evaluated thoroughly and properly and experience relief then please ring for an appointment. Tel: (619) 831-8777.

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