Chiropractic Care for Headaches | Chiropractor in Nashville

Has your head been pounding frequently? You’re not alone. Many people struggle with headache pain at least once during their lifetime. In fact, nine out of 10 Americans have experienced headaches at one point or another. Headaches can strike at any time, and they can be subtle, throbbing, recurring, or even debilitating. If you’re looking for ways to treat your headaches, you’re in the right place. Read on to find out how chiropractic care can help relieve headaches.

What Causes Headaches

There are several reasons why a person may have a headache. Triggers generally include lifestyle factors, including lack of sleep, excessive stress, and skipped meals. Environmental stimuli like noise and lights, alcohol, and certain foods, such as cured meats and aged types of cheese, can also induce headaches. Only five percent of all headaches are a manifestation of a disease. The rest of the 95 percent, however, make up primary headaches. These include tension-type headaches, cervicogenic migraines, and cluster headaches. An underlying medical problem doesn’t cause primary headaches. Instead, the headache itself is the chief concern.

Primary headaches have mainly been correlated with muscle tension. With more people confining themselves to a sedentary lifestyle, it’s no wonder why headaches have increasingly become common. Spending long hours sitting in front of a computer or any single fixed position makes you vulnerable to joint irritation. It also increases muscle strain in several parts of your body, including the scalp, neck, and upper back, causing head pain.

What Can Be Done

Chiropractors have been trained in determining the source of headaches. Assessing your health, checking your medical history, and performing examinations help them identify what’s causing the discomfort.

One of the most effective methods in treating headaches with chiropractic care is spinal manipulation. Your chiropractor will perform chiropractic adjustments. This way, they can improve the function of the surrounding joints and muscles, alleviating any stresses in your nervous system. Manual therapy will relieve the chronic pain, reducing the bouts of headaches you’ll experience.

Your chiropractor will also provide nutritional advice and educate you on ergonomics and correct posture. They may also introduce proper exercises and stretching techniques to keep headaches from recurring.

Lifestyle Modifications

A multifaceted approach is always encouraged for long-term relief. Here are some tips to help prevent headaches from occurring again:

Limit stress by avoiding stressful events and learning healthy ways to cope with them.
Take frequent breaks when in prolonged posture, such as reading or working on a computer. You can do this by gently moving your head through comfortable ranges of motion every half an hour. Stretch to massage out your neck and shoulder muscles. Engaging in low-intensity aerobic exercises like walking is also highly recommended.
Adjust your sleeping position. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. Instead, try to sleep on your side or back. Use a pillow to support your head and level your neck with your spine.
Eat a healthy, balanced diet, and stay hydrated throughout the day.

Visit a dentist if you get headaches when you clench your jaws. A mouthguard may help avert the stress on your jaw and its neighboring muscles. Involve a chiropractor now in your healthcare team.

Get relief from headaches and other physical pain, contact Chiropractic Nashville in Nashville, Tennessee at (615) 205-1022 to schedule your session.