February 12, 2024

Do you suffer from tension type headaches? Solutions are easy and available.

What are tension type headaches?

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and it is preventable and/or easily addressed. They are characterized by a dull, aching pain, and a sensation of pressure or tightness around the head. Most patients will describe having tightness and discomfort at the base of the skull and pain in the forehead and sides of the head. Several factors may contribute to their development, here are the most common causes:

Muscle tension: Stiffness and spasms of the muscles in neck can lead to discomfort and pain in the neck but also can refer pain to the head. Many knots or “trigger points” can cause tension headaches.
Poor posture: Maintaining poor posture for extended periods, especially in activities such as working on a computer or reading, can strain the muscles in the neck and head, potentially triggering tension headaches.
Trauma: Sport injuries, car accidents and strain to the neck. Violent motions in the neck from injuries will overstretch and tear muscles fibers. In turn, this causes pain and inflammation. The brain responds by sending neurological signals to contract muscles and protect the injured areas. So, you are left with painful, stiff muscles.

How nice would it be if you had 50, 75 or 90% fewer headaches and they were less intense?

Here is how we can alleviate your headaches:
In most cases, the first approach is to get adequate treatment to relieve muscle spasms through therapeutic massage, stretching and trigger point dry needling. This will allow your neck to become loser and your spine to move properly. If you have lost function and mobility that causes headaches, the treatment is designed to reverse that. Once that is done, your goal of finding headache relief becomes reality. How nice would it be if you had 50, 75 or 90% fewer headaches and they were less intense? Our office has been able to achieve these goals for over 3 decades on thousands of patients. You can toss your medications in the toilet as they only provide temporary relief and cause side effects you don’t want to have.
As muscle and joints act together to provide normal motion in your neck, dealing with muscle spasms is just one part of your healing process. Your spinal joints and mobility can be compromised because of this lack of flexibility and also need to be addressed. The combination of muscle tension treatment and chiropractic manipulation is a winner combination to eradicate your tension headaches. We see this time and time again, every day in our office.