By Dr. Chris No Comments
Natural Headache Relief Without Drugs
Looking into the subject of headaches can give you…a headache! There are so many kinds of headaches – tension headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, rebound headaches (from meds, not relationships), caffeine headaches, menstrual headaches, migraines – the list goes on.
A severe headache might make you feel alone, but nothing could be further from the truth. Nine out of 10 Americans report having headaches. Some are mild and annoying, and some are debilitating. The worst kind can put you in bed in a darkened room, nauseated and wanting to die, if that would make the pain go away. For Asheville headache sufferers, there is a natural solution: Make an appointment with Weaverville Chiropractor, Dr. Chris Thompson, and get to the root of the problem instead of just treating symptoms.
Over the Counter Pain Medication Only Treats the Symptoms
If you look at the drugstore shelves for headache medication, the choices are overwhelming. Plus, pain medications are a double-edged sword! While they alleviate some of the discomfort, what price does your body pay? Over the counter (OTC) pain medications come with side effects; some being serious and potentially fatal.
Large doses of OTC meds have been linked to liver and kidney dysfunction, rashes, allergic reactions, stomach ulcers and more. Sometimes the headaches can even be the result of withdrawing from the OTC medication. (This is the rebound headache mentioned above.)
Even if you do experience pain relief without obvious side effects, medication does not get to the cause of your headaches. When the headaches return, your only recourse is more medication.
That’s where chiropractic care comes in. Chiropractors are experts in finding the cause of your headache (and other) pain.
What Causes Headaches?
Headaches can be caused by poor posture, spinal misalignment (also known as subluxations), and forward neck posture (too much time staring into your computer). Other headache triggers are blood sugar changes, excessive exercise, loud noise, bright lights – the list goes on.
Don’t dismiss headaches lightly. About 5% of headaches can be warning signals of more serious physical problems. The rest are known as primary headaches. They are not signals of other diseases, but the primary focus of concern. Whatever their cause, a visit to Weaverville Chiropractor can help.
Spinal Manipulation Can Help
For tension headaches and headaches originating in the neck, spinal manipulation, one of the primary tools of chiropractic physicians, has been proven to be a remarkably effective treatment option.
Research shows that spinal manipulation – one of the primary treatments provided by chiropractors – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A 2014 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain, and that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improved migraine and other headache types.
In addition to back and neck adjustments, your visit to Weaverville Chiropractor may include:
- Ice
- Electrical stimulation
- Myofascial release technique
- Graston technique: Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) to release adhesions in the connective tissue for skeletal muscles
Don’t just suffer through headaches! Make an appointment today, and take the first steps toward the Well-Adjusted Life
About Chris