Do you or a loved one suffer from chronic migraines and headaches? If so, you are probably very ready to get rid of this debilitating pain and find some relief. Did you know that Santa Clara Chiropractor, Dr. Hoewisch, at Hoewisch Family Chiropractic can help find the source of your chronic migraines and gently adjust you to ease your pain? This headache protocol, combined with proven chiropractic techniques, helps our patients heal faster and with less pain. At Hoewisch Family Chiropractic, our focus is on your wellness through natural care for pain relief, without prescription drugs.
Neck Pain and headache
Did you know that headaches, especially tension headaches, and migraines can also cause neck pain? While the precise causes of those of these types of headaches are unknown, certain factors may increase your risk of developing neck and head pain, including feeling like you have a band around your neck and throbbing sensations.
Causes of a Tension Headache
Tension headaches typically start in the back of the neck, which makes them carcinogenic headaches. These are considered secondary headaches because they do not occur by themselves. Instead, a tightening of the neck and shoulder muscles puts pressure on the nerves in the neck, which leads to a headache. Since a tension headache is often caused by tight neck and shoulder muscles, it’s important to understand what typically causes an increase in muscle tension. Causes of tight neck muscles include a sudden increase in stress, bad sleeping position, and poor posture. Individuals who experience tension headaches typically describe the pain as tightness around the head or a dull ache.
Causes of Migraines
The causes of migraines can vary with the individual and aren’t completely scientifically understood. However, certain factors and conditions may make it more likely that you’ll experience a migraine at some point in your life. If you have family members that suffer from migraine headaches, you are more likely to develop the condition. Additional factors include hormone changes, especially in women, an increase in stress levels, exposure to extremely bright lights and changes in your sleeping patterns, including getting too little or too much sleep. Some individuals may also develop migraines when the weather changes, especially if there is a significant change in the barometric pressure.
The Connection Between Whiplash and Headaches
Whiplash injuries can cause severe headaches. These headaches can feel like a migraine or a tension headache or a combination of the two. When you are in a car accident, have a sports injury to your neck (like from getting tackled), get hit in the head or take a hard fall, your neck could experience a severe sprain and strain. This is known as whiplash, and it causes a variety of symptoms from neck pain and stiffness to severe a headache, blurry vision and sensitivity to light and sound.
Tension Headaches and Neck Pain
A tension headache often starts with neck pain and stiffness. After a short or long period of time, that pain can radiate up into the head, which leads to a headache. This stiffness and pain can feel like a burning or tight sensation in the back of the neck. It’s important to note that individuals who experience a tension headache often describe the pain as getting worse instead of better throughout the day if no treatment is administered.
A migraine is a severe headache that causes a variety of symptoms that can change from person to person and even from migraine to migraine in the same person. The most common symptoms include constant or throbbing pain or a sense of pulsation on one side of the head. The pain can be accompanied by blurry vision, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and sound as well as nausea. However, it’s important to note that in a 2010 study reported by Migraine.com, neck pain and stiffness occurred more often in migraine sufferers than nausea.
How Chiropractic Helps with Headaches and Migraines in Santa Clara
The good news about neck pain and headaches is that they can both be treated non-invasively and naturally with chiropractic care from our chiropractor in Santa Clara. While cervicogenic headaches, tension headaches, and migraines all have their own unique causes and symptoms, they all typically respond well to chiropractic treatments, including chiropractic adjustments of the cervical vertebrae, KST chiropractic and lifestyle changes, including exercising more, correcting bad posture and focusing on eating a healthy diet. Give us a call now at (408) 985-8118 to schedule a time for a visit to Hoewisch Family Chiropractic
