ProMove

View Original

Finding Natural Relief from Headaches

What Type of Headache Do You Have?

 

The Bottom Line

Headaches are experienced a little bit differently by everyone. In Midtown/Dundee Omaha we see a variety of side effects headaches can cause. Patients may report feeling tired, experiencing some blurry vision, difficulty concentrating, or even having a chronically stiff neck or neck pain. Whatever headache symptoms you notice, we’ve seen them. Often, they can notice their ability to function throughout the day to be more difficult due to the headache.

 

Yes, headaches present in many, many different ways. This variety can be attributed to a multitude of factors, but one thing remains consistent. Frequent headaches are not normal to experience.

 

Have you been doing your best to fight your headache, but it seems to just keep reoccurring over and over? Well, maybe it’s time to figure out the underlying cause of your chronic headaches once and for all!

 

Why it Matters

As I’m sure you know, there are many different types of headaches. With many different types come many different presentations and aggravators. Knowing which type of headache you are experiencing is the first step in finding relief. The best way to do that is to consult a healthcare professional. A healthcare professional will be able to gather all the necessary information and have a better idea of what kind of headache you are experiencing. Each type of headache can be caused by a different issue. It is important to look at the origin of the headache for an effective treatment!

 

We’ve seen and treated many different headaches in our Midtown/Dundee Omaha clinic and have had great success.

If you find yourself frequently searching for a 'chiropractor near me' to relieve your persistent headaches, look no further than ProMove Chiropractic & Performance. We have been recognized as a leading Omaha chiropractor for our innovative approach and success in managing headache disorders. Our expertise and dedication in serving the Omaha community are what set us apart from other providers.


Importance of Postural Awareness

Headache pain can often be linked to poor posture, particularly as many of us are spending more hours hunched over our computers or craning our necks to look at our phones. Poor posture can lead to muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back, all of which can contribute to the onset of tension headaches or exacerbate migraines. Understanding the correlation between posture and headaches is crucial, which is why we at our Midtown/Dundee Omaha clinic strongly emphasize postural awareness. A key part of our treatment protocol is educating patients on maintaining an appropriate posture throughout the day to keep muscle strain at bay and alleviate headache symptoms.

The Role of Chiropractic Care

ProMove Chiropractic & Performance is a reliable Omaha chiropractor that utilizes advanced chiropractic techniques for pain relief and overall wellness. Our patients in Omaha often report reduced headache frequency and intensity after undergoing our tailored treatment plans. We focus on enhancing your body's innate healing capacity to address the root cause of your headaches

Chiropractic care, such as that provided at our Midtown/Dundee Omaha clinic, has been shown to offer significant relief for a range of headaches. By addressing spinal misalignments or subluxations, our chiropractic treatments can relieve pressure on irritated nerves, enhancing blood flow and reducing muscular tension, all of which can significantly decrease the severity and frequency of headaches. Chiropractic care for headaches has also shown to improve overall body function, contributing to improved health and well-being. It is an all-natural approach that avoids the side effects often associated with medication use. If you're tired of managing your headaches with over-the-counter remedies and are seeking a more natural, effective solution, chiropractic care may be the right choice for you.

Most Common Types of Headaches


Migraine

Migraines come in all shapes and sizes. Typically you'll feel a throbbing on one side of your head.

 

If you’ve experienced this type of headache before, you know this type of headache can be somewhat debilitating. Maybe the worst part about migraine pain is that it can last up to 72 hours on occasion.

 

You will likely feel nauseous and may be sensitive to light, sound, or strong smells. So if you have to go to a dark room, shut off all the lights and cover your ears, you may likely be having a migraine episode. It is a good idea to get professional help to treat migraine symptoms.

 

Here are a few additional key facts about migraine types of headaches:

● These headaches are thought to be related to the release of inflammatory substances in the head.

● Migraine-type headaches are twice as common in women because of hormonal influences.

● Migraine attacks often tend to pass quicker in children.

●  The frequency of migraines could be once a year, once a week, or any amount of time in between.

 

Tension Headache

Tension headaches, also known as stress headaches, are the most common type of headache and affect up to 20% of the population. Tension headaches can occur in combination with migraine headaches. Many patients report “tensing up” in response to the Migraine, which only causes more effects around the back of the neck and head pain.

 

Tension headaches usually consist of constant dull pain on the side of the head due to tense or contracted neck and scalp muscles. These types of headaches can last anywhere from a few hours to several days. They can also be intermittent or “on again, off again” fashion, depending on your activity.

 

Stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers of tension headaches. You could experience these types of headaches due to not drinking enough water, loud noises, not getting much sleep or other sleep disorders, not getting enough regular exercise, or simply having bad daily habits like staring at bright lights for long hours. But the list doesn’t stop there... What gives you your headache?

 

While that may seem like a long list with some potentially unavoidable headache triggers, the good news is that some minor lifestyle changes can be addressed as part of a healthy overall lifestyle. The skill of combatting stress, and learning how to manage them, can be very difficult. The process can take time. It (the process) can take some trial and error. You may try one thing, which might not be “right” for you. That’s the great thing about it. The process. There are options out there to try.

 

Well, back to the tension-type headache stuff: Check out these fascinating facts:

 ● Tension-type headaches are the most common form of pain in the head.

● This headache is described as pressure or tightness, often like a band around the head.

● The pain associated with tension headaches can sometimes spread into or come from the neck. Some people will say they literally feel it creep up the back of their neck into the base of their skull.

 

 Cluster Headache

 The cluster headache. This headache affects more men than women, contrary to migraines. That can be an important fact when differentiating.

 

Most describe this headache as intense burning, piercing sensation behind only one eye and possibly around it. These headaches have a much shorter life span than the previous headaches. These headaches only last around 15 minutes to 180 minutes {3 hours}. Caffeine has been found to have positive benefits on cluster headaches since caffeine has vasoconstrictive properties. this means that blood vessels narrow to restrict blood flow and help with pain relief.

 

Yup, you guessed it. Continue below for a few interesting facts about cluster-type headaches:

● Cluster-type headaches affect fewer than 1 in 1000 adults and affect six men for every woman. That’s quite the ratio.

● Cluster headaches, while often brief, can occur up to several times a day.

● Those experiencing these types of headaches may have tearing and redness in the eye or a blocked nasal passage on the affected side.

● Cluster and sinus headaches can appear simultaneously. 

● Poor sleep quality and stress may be trigger points for cluster headaches.

These are all unique characteristics pointing towards a cluster headache being the issue.

 

So you have all this information in your brain… now what?

Do you know anyone who gets headaches that occur multiple times a week and is associated with work or stress? Or are you one of those people getting occasional headaches or severe headaches?

 

Either way, you can give us a call or find a chiropractor/physical therapist near you! Increasing the range of motion and relieving muscular tension are our specialties.

 

We all deal with headaches every now and then, so we often don't perceive them as serious enough to warrant a clinic visit. But, if they begin to reoccur more frequently, becoming more intense or lasting longer, it may be time to investigate further. This next step may help you find the relief you have been waiting for and deserve. Headaches are not normal and should not be treated as such especially when there is a solution!

In fact, it's estimated that half of the people who deal with headaches are self-treating with home remedies. This means using an OTF medication, trying to perform stretches or even self-adjusting. Not that I’m against self-adjusting, but that alone isn’t helping the headache.

That may be why many of the patients we see at our chiropractic headache clinic in Midtown/Dundee Omaha are surprised to learn that overuse of medications intended to relieve their headaches can actually lead to more headaches! At some point, it’s probably doing more harm (even to other organs in the body) than good.

 

So, if you’re having trouble with any of the headaches that we discussed today, please give us a call so we can get started! Honestly, you can give us a call if you’re having any kind of pain and we’d be glad to help.  

Recent studies have shown that chiropractic care can play a big part in reducing the intensity, severity, and frequency of many common headaches without those risky medications. It can be a very cost-effective route that sometimes gets overlooked.

Dr. Sealey will work with you to identify the root cause of your and put into motion a plan of care designed to relieve that cause. It may be adjustments. It may be manual therapy. It may be acupuncture. It may be a combination. Each person has different demands, experiences, and outlooks on what treatment looks like for them.

 

That is why we value all the information we gather on the initial visit. It drives so much and helps us be better for you.


Dalton Sealey DC, CSCS

ProMove Chiropractic & Performance

402.915.4901

drsealey@promovechiropractic.com

As an experienced Omaha chiropractor, Dr. Sealey and his team at ProMove Chiropractic & Performance are committed to serving the Omaha community. Our goal is not only to alleviate your immediate symptoms but also to equip you with the knowledge and techniques to manage your headaches at home. We understand how debilitating chronic headaches can be, and our commitment to your health extends beyond your visit to our clinic. Don't keep searching 'chiropractor near me'; instead, contact us for comprehensive chiropractic care in Omaha.

Science Sources:

Tension Headache. MedlinePlus. 2019.

Headache Disorders. WHO. 2016.