Chiropractic Care & Headaches

Just about everyone, at some point in their lives, experiences headaches. If you’re reading this right now, chances are that you or someone you love is experiencing them.

The truth is that headaches are difficult to manage because there are many different types of headaches and there are many factors that can contribute to or exacerbate them. Another problem is that it seems that most people who suffer from headaches turn to pain medications for relief and, while these medications do offer pain relief, they are only masking the symptoms and in no way help to tackle the true cause behind these headaches you may be experiencing. This is a big deal because so many people suffer from headaches without knowing that there are other options available to us that can help fix the problem instead of pushing it back for a few hours and putting tons of physiological stress on our liver and digestive system through medication.

One such alternative that provides a safe and natural method to managing headaches is chiropractic care

Chiropractic care provides long-term, safe, and effective recovery from headaches and migraines. Headaches are usually caused by vertebral, muscular, or habitual factors, and headache and migraine chiropractors are well trained and equipped to diagnose and treat these problems.

NUCCA Chiropractic care to help relieve headaches and migraines works by correcting the first cervical vertebrae, often known as the atlas bone. As a result, pressure is relieved on the nerve fibers and vertebral arteries that run through atlas. During the first month of treatment, patients may notice a considerable reduction in the frequency and intensity of headaches.

This article will explain the causes of headaches and migraines, as well as how NUCCA chiropractic care can help. It will also introduce you to our chiropractic treatment that efficiently relieves headaches and migraines.

Causes of headaches and migraines

The pain you experience during a migraine is triggered by a mix of signals delivered by the brain, blood flow, and neighboring nerves. Pain signals are sent to the brain by certain nerves in your blood vessels and muscles in your head. However, it is uncertain how these impulses are generated in the first place. The following are some of the most prevalent causes of headaches and migraines:

• Allergies
• Dehydration and hunger
• Excessive effort and stress
• Genes
• Sickness
• Sleep deprivation
• Your immediate surroundings

How chiropractic can help

Chiropractic therapy can be an excellent approach to control and reduce headache and migraine discomfort. It helps to relieve joint stiffness or displacements in the spine and other joints throughout the body. This decreases inflammation and enhances the performance of the damaged joint as well as the neurological system.

The following are some of the health benefits that chiropractic therapy for patients suffering from headaches and migraines:

• Relief from pain and discomfort
• Reduced inflammation
• Stress and tension issues are alleviated
• Enhanced physical function and performance

NUCCA Adjustments for Headaches and Migraines

The NUCCA Chiropractic Adjustment is a manual chiropractic adjustment that aligns the top of the spine to take pressure off the nerves. This allows your nerves to calm down and allows your shoulders, hips and spine to level out.

This upper cervical chiropractic approach is mild and can help rebuild the body’s equilibrium and foster an optimal state of wellness.

How it works

It utilizes the distinct interaction between both the upper cervical spine (neck) and its impact on the functioning of the nervous system. This precise link has an impact on every area of the body’s function, from hormone regulation to sensory activities.

Certified NUCCA Chiropractors are skilled at performing precise and gentle corrections to the spine using their hands.

First, a NUCCA chiropractor will take very specific x-rays of the patient’s neck to show us the misalignment of the spine that may be present. Every patient is unique and taking x-rays allows us to see exactly what is going on within your neck and spine.

After completing x-rays, our chiropractor may utilize additional measures to evaluate if the patient’s Atlas is balanced or not. Our chiropractor will use their expertise to examine certain nerves in the nape of the neck. This will show whether or not the nerves are compressed, sore, or irritated.

The patient will then lie down so that the length of their legs may be measured. If the condition requires a correction, our doctor will position the patient suitably on the table and perform a low-pressure correction utilizing the patient’s unique adjustment angle. After that, our doctor will recheck the nerves and leg length immediately after the correction.

The right cervical adjustment will free up the nerves in the neck, reducing painful symptoms, helping relieve headaches and reestablish overall equilibrium in the body. Post-adjustment x-rays may be taken by our chiropractor to ensure that the right treatment was administered. And the patient will be well on their road to regaining wellness in their system.

When to start chiropractic care for headaches or migraines

If you experience severe headaches or some of the following symptoms are interfering with your daily activities, you should consider seeing a headache chiropractor:

• A headache that is followed by impaired vision or a seizure
• Prolonged headache
• Headaches that appear out of nowhere
• Headaches that begin in the early morning

Tips on avoiding headaches in the future

Minimize loud sounds and bright lights: Headaches and migraines are frequently triggered by excessive noise, strobing lights, and sensory stimulation. These triggers may be hard to ignore, but understanding that they exist in specific settings and locations may be beneficial. Schedule screen breaks to allow your eyes to recover, and lower the brightness levels on electronic devices. Keep an eye out for any visual or auditory disruptions and ensure you can quickly prevent them if a headache strikes.

Watch what you eat: Certain meals and beverages might cause headaches. Understand which foods and chemicals cause headaches for you and how to prevent them. Caffeine and alcohol-containing foods and beverages are typical triggers. Minimize your consumption or avoid them entirely if necessary. Check out more on our blog post about nutrition.

Keep an eye on the weather: Weather changes might influence your headache and migraine frequency. Heat and humidity, as well as wet days, may cause headaches. Whenever the weather seems unbearable, you may need to stay indoors and enjoy a reprieve away from the elements.

Sleep and eat regularly: Skipping breakfast or missing meals might cause headaches. We recommend you eat within an hour after getting out of bed, and then every three to four hours from then. Migraines may be caused by both hunger and dehydration. Keep in mind to drink plenty of water and not miss a meal.Sleep deprivation might exacerbate symptoms as well. Also sleeping excessively may trigger headaches.

Reduce stress: While we cannot avoid stressful events, we can manage how we respond to them. Migraines are a typical side effect of stressful situations. Mindfulness, meditation, and neurofeedback are all relaxation practices that can help lower stress levels.

Practice calming exercises: Physical activity is a crucial aspect of living a healthy lifestyle. However, strenuous activities like weight lifting might cause headaches. We advise you to watch how your body reacts to different activities. Choose activities that help you relax without placing too much effort on your body, such as meditation, gentle aerobics, or yoga.

Are you looking for a San Francisco Chiropractor to help with Headaches or Migraines?

Medication is usually the first thing that comes to mind when we notice the symptoms of a headache or migraine. While this can help alleviate the pain temporarily, it will not treat the underlying source of the problem.

To effectively treat headaches and other spine disorders give us or your local chiropractor a call for a consultation.