Headache
There are those who suffer from headaches all the time and there are those who do not suffer from headache ever. However there are people who suffer from headaches much of their daily lives. The headache may be a symptom indicating another problem, therefore, many people are afraid to be suffering from something more serious. There are several types of headaches, such as migraine, cluster headache and tension headache. The last type is the most common, and the most effective way to be treated is with chiropractic.
tension headache
The tension headaches account for 90% of all headaches. A person may experience a mild pain rather than a strong one. Most of us have suffered from this type of headache at least once in a lifetime. Most adults have suffered this type of headache but also children may be adversely affected. The intensity of the pain is usually low to mild but can increase to a level so intense not allow one to go to work or do daily activities. This type of headache may seem like a pressure or a band around the head. The cause of this type of headache is often tension or stiffness in the muscles surrounding the skull or where the muscles attach to the bone as the base of the skull, neck, jaw or shoulder blades. The pain can be felt anywhere in the head or neck. Everyone has had their own personal experience of suffering. Spontaneous episodes of intense headache are common and an episode can last a few hours, but one can also develop chronic headaches that can prevent living a normal life.
There are several reasons for tension headaches:
These are all common factors easily recognizable and treatable.
Less commonly known causes of headache
Many people take painkillers to cope with headaches, however, this remedy does not get to the cause of the problem and not solve the reason why you started the suffering in the first place. There is often stiffness or dysfunction in the joints of the cervical spine and stiffness in muscles caused by a loss of normal neurophysiological and biomechanical equilibrium. Normal equilibrium needs to be restored in order to resolve the cause of the headache. After an extended period of disequilibrium, you can no longer prevent degenerative pathology to the spine. The development of joint diseases (arthropathy) dates from trauma or chronic poor posture at work or at play, causing irritation to the nerve tissue (neuropathy) and muscle tension. A damaged cervical spine and chronically irritated nervous tissues (dural sac, spinal nerves and spinal cord) do cause headaches as a symptom.
There are also other mechanisms that cause the headache. When the upper cervical vertebra loses its normal equilibrium, a small muscle called the rectus capitis posterior minor (RCPM) goes into spasm. The problem is that this small muscle located between the upper neck and the base of the skull has a portion of its tendon that attaches to the dural sac that covers the brain and spinal cord. Although the brain itself has no sensitivity, the dural sac is very sensitive. Consequently, when the RCPM enters into spasm and its tendon pulls the dural sac, a common cause of headache. People working at desk jobs with computers tend to suffer from this cause of headaches.
Trigger points
Another cause of headache is referred pain from "trigger points" located in the muscles. These are able to refer pain distant from their location. The headaches caused by trigger points usually involve one or more of four muscles of the head, neck and shoulders, splenius, the sub occipital, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and the trapezius.
A chiropractor can help you recover lost neurophysiological equilibrium reducing neuromuscular tension and biomechanical stress. This reduces the risk of acute or chronic irritation of nerve tissue (neuropathy) and muscles of the cervical spine which can cause headaches. It is also important to check the pelvis and feet to make sure that the problems in the neck or shoulders are not secondary compensations due to hidden elsewhere. The first step to solving the pain is to find the cause of the headache. It could be do to an earlier trauma, even many years ago, or simply chronic bad posture. It's always very important to listen to the signals of your body to stay healthy.
Remember that pain is simply a communication of our body to warn us that something is wrong. It is important to be aware that headache may be the first sign of an underlying problem that will need further investigation.
tension headache
The tension headaches account for 90% of all headaches. A person may experience a mild pain rather than a strong one. Most of us have suffered from this type of headache at least once in a lifetime. Most adults have suffered this type of headache but also children may be adversely affected. The intensity of the pain is usually low to mild but can increase to a level so intense not allow one to go to work or do daily activities. This type of headache may seem like a pressure or a band around the head. The cause of this type of headache is often tension or stiffness in the muscles surrounding the skull or where the muscles attach to the bone as the base of the skull, neck, jaw or shoulder blades. The pain can be felt anywhere in the head or neck. Everyone has had their own personal experience of suffering. Spontaneous episodes of intense headache are common and an episode can last a few hours, but one can also develop chronic headaches that can prevent living a normal life.
There are several reasons for tension headaches:
- Chronic poor posture- Trauma recent or past
- Improper workstation organization
- Repetitive work fatigue
- Sleeping prone
- Lack of sleep
- Stress
- Low blood sugar
- Dehydration
- Whiplash recent or past
- Grinding of teeth
- Visual fatigue
These are all common factors easily recognizable and treatable.
Less commonly known causes of headache
Many people take painkillers to cope with headaches, however, this remedy does not get to the cause of the problem and not solve the reason why you started the suffering in the first place. There is often stiffness or dysfunction in the joints of the cervical spine and stiffness in muscles caused by a loss of normal neurophysiological and biomechanical equilibrium. Normal equilibrium needs to be restored in order to resolve the cause of the headache. After an extended period of disequilibrium, you can no longer prevent degenerative pathology to the spine. The development of joint diseases (arthropathy) dates from trauma or chronic poor posture at work or at play, causing irritation to the nerve tissue (neuropathy) and muscle tension. A damaged cervical spine and chronically irritated nervous tissues (dural sac, spinal nerves and spinal cord) do cause headaches as a symptom.
There are also other mechanisms that cause the headache. When the upper cervical vertebra loses its normal equilibrium, a small muscle called the rectus capitis posterior minor (RCPM) goes into spasm. The problem is that this small muscle located between the upper neck and the base of the skull has a portion of its tendon that attaches to the dural sac that covers the brain and spinal cord. Although the brain itself has no sensitivity, the dural sac is very sensitive. Consequently, when the RCPM enters into spasm and its tendon pulls the dural sac, a common cause of headache. People working at desk jobs with computers tend to suffer from this cause of headaches.
Trigger points
Another cause of headache is referred pain from "trigger points" located in the muscles. These are able to refer pain distant from their location. The headaches caused by trigger points usually involve one or more of four muscles of the head, neck and shoulders, splenius, the sub occipital, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and the trapezius.
- A trigger point in the splenius muscle is a common cause of headaches, capable of referring pain from the back of the head to the back of the eye as well as the top of the head.
- A trigger point in the sub occipital muscle can cause pain that seems to be inside the head, extending to the back of the eye and forehead. Very often it may seem that the pain involves the whole side of the head, a pain similar to that of migraine.
- The trigger points of the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) are complicated, their effect is widespread, includes referred pain, balance problems and vision impairment. The patterns of referred pain tend to be: deep eye pain, pain above the eye and earaches. Another unusual feature of the trigger points of the SCM muscle is that it can cause dizziness, nausea and loss of balance.
- A trigger point is very, very common in the upper trapezius muscle and its referred pain is in the forehead and in the back of the head and sometimes is responsible for headaches. This trigger point is capable of producing secondary trigger points in the muscles of the temple or the jaw, which then can lead to pain in the jaw or dental type pain.
A chiropractor can help you recover lost neurophysiological equilibrium reducing neuromuscular tension and biomechanical stress. This reduces the risk of acute or chronic irritation of nerve tissue (neuropathy) and muscles of the cervical spine which can cause headaches. It is also important to check the pelvis and feet to make sure that the problems in the neck or shoulders are not secondary compensations due to hidden elsewhere. The first step to solving the pain is to find the cause of the headache. It could be do to an earlier trauma, even many years ago, or simply chronic bad posture. It's always very important to listen to the signals of your body to stay healthy.
Remember that pain is simply a communication of our body to warn us that something is wrong. It is important to be aware that headache may be the first sign of an underlying problem that will need further investigation.
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