One of the most commonly occurring disorders of the nervous system is a pain and discomfort in the head area, also known as a headache. It is estimated that 47% of the adult population has had at least one headache within the last year. Headaches can cause social and personal burdens of pain and can drastically lower your quality of life. If you think you may be suffering from a headache of some kind, you need to ask yourself these few questions:
Do you have pain in your head, neck, or face?
Have you ever experienced nausea, vomiting, or blurry vision?
Has your head every starting to ache after seeing bright lights or hearing loud sounds?
If you answered yes to any of the questions listed above, then you may be experiencing headaches which can cause a variety of symptoms. Some of the more common types of headaches are migraines, tension-type headaches, and medication overuse headaches. Migraine headaches can begin at early adolescent ages but most commonly affects people age 35 to 45. A migraine occurs due to a mechanism in the brain releasing inflammatory substances around the nerves and blood vessels of the head. Some common symptoms of migraines include: one sided pulsing pain in the head, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, and could last anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days. Another type of headache that is starting to become more common is medication induced headaches. Medication induced headaches are considered the most common form of secondary headaches caused by taking excessive medication over a long period of time. Medication induced headaches are often persistent and worse in the morning when waking up.
The most common primary headache disorder is known as a tension-type headache. Tension-type headache have been reported by 70% of the population, and usually starts in the early teenage years. Most people who suffer from tension-type headaches describe the pain as pressure or tightness around their head or neck area. Often times patients reports a feeling of a band wrapped around their head. These headaches can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days and often come in episodes. Tension-type headaches are most often caused by musculoskeletal problems in the neck, jaw, or stressed induced. Many times headaches are caused by increased stress of the muscles in your neck and jaw that cause added stress to the joints leading to pressure and pain in the head. Another common cause of headaches is from subluxations in your neck. Subluxations are vertebrae in your neck that are stuck or fixated and are not moving properly. These subluxations restrict movement, create muscle tightness, and may reduce adequate blood flow to the brain, which leads to decreased oxygen and nutrients to the brain.
If you think you may be suffering from a headache, it is important to schedule an appointment with your doctor to get it evaluated professionally. Since there are so many different types of headaches it is essential to determine what the primary cause of the headache is. Some headaches are treated with lifestyle modifications, patient education, and some over the counter medications. However, if your headache is related to stress, a muscle imbalance, or restriction of movement in your neck (subluxation) then you may need further treatment to help resolve your headaches. A common form of treatment for subluxations in the neck or jaw is chiropractic adjustments. Adjustments to the spine and jaw reduce subluxations by increasing motion and relieving stress on the joint. All of the treatments listed above are very effective and can help many people that are suffering unnecessarily.