Sacramento Chiropractor Treats Migraines and Headaches
Can a chiropractor actually help with headaches?
Yes, chiropractors help with headaches. A study (link in references) from the National Library of Medicine found: “Evidence suggests that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches“.
I heard this dad joke at our Sacramento chiropractic office:
You shouldn't worry about headaches
I mean, it's all in your head.
However, the fact of the matter is that very often headaches and migraines are caused by your spine. We have helped countless people with headaches, we even have several video testimonials of patients who no longer worry about headaches.
What causes headaches?
There are two types of headaches: Primary and Secondary headaches.
Primary headaches are caused by overactivity of or problems with pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease.
Secondary headaches are a symptom of a disease that can activate the pain-sensitive nerves of the head. Any number of conditions — varying greatly in severity — may cause secondary headaches. If you are interested in the list of conditions see the link under references at the bottom of the page.
Can spine misalignment cause headaches?
Yes, misalignment can cause headaches. Cervical spine misalignment can irritate the nerves traveling through the neck into the head. This can cause mild constriction in the vessels carrying blood to the brain. Headache symptoms can also be caused by abnormal pressure on the vertebrae, creating inflammation. Reduced neck curvature can also cause headaches.
At our Sacramento Chiropractors office, we have helped countless patients with headaches.
Headaches can be a nuisance and if when they are severe they can even interfere with activities of daily living. Our Chiropractors can design a personalized care plan based on your needs to get you fast relief WITHOUT medication.
What Types of headaches can Chiropractic treat?
Tension headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type and appear as pain almost anywhere in the head, scalp, or neck. As tension headaches are often due to a combination of stress and back or neck strain, chiropractic care has been proven to help provide relief for these headaches.
Cervicogenic headache (CGH)
Cervicogenic headache (CGH) occurs when pain is referred from a specific source in the neck up to the head. This pain is commonly a steady ache or dull feeling, but sometimes the pain intensity can worsen.
Migraine headaches
Migraine headaches - A chiropractor can use a series of spinal adjustments to impact the way nerves send signals throughout the brain. Spinal manipulation might also be able to impact the flow of blood through the central nervous system, helping to treat and prevent migraines.
How our Sacramento Chiropractors can help.
Our chiropractors typically break down care into three phases:
Assessment
Corrective Care
Maintenance Care
HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?
Chiropractors review your medical history during the initial examination; they may use x-rays and different techniques to assess your posture, searching for the root cause of your headaches. Based on the assessment techniques, your chiropractor will find out what triggered your headache and whether it was caused by a condition that can be treated with chiropractic care.
If chiropractic can resolve your headaches, we often recommend corrective care instead of symptomatic care to get long-lasting results.
What is Corrective Care?
Corrective care is a personalized chiropractic plan that focuses on restoring alignment and balance to the spine. Corrective care focuses on correcting misalignments instead of simply focusing on pain relief. Depending on the severity of your spinal issues, corrective care may take one to six months.
What is Maintenance Care?
Maintenance care is a treatment plan that focuses on maintaining your improved posture and cervical curvature to ensure the headaches don’t come back. Once the corrective care is complete, you may consider maintenance care. Ideally, we periodically schedule assessments of your spine so that we be aware of your spine’s health and prevent future misalignments.
How long do treatments usually take to relieve headaches at our Sacramento chiropractic office?
Frankly, we have had patients experience relief as early as their first adjustment. However, we usually see amazing breakthroughs in wellness after the first month and again after the second.
The sooner we start taking care of you the sooner you can experience relief from headaches. If you experience chronic headaches please reach out to us using our NEW PATIENT OFFER or give us a call. You can click the blue text to the left or use the link or call button in the header. We hope to see you soon.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21640251/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/headache/basics/causes/sym-20050800#:~:text=Chemical%20activity%20in%20your%20brain,likely%20to%20develop%20such%20headaches.
Clinically reviewed by Steven Barham, D.C.
— Updated on Novemeber 5, 2022
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