Tension, Cervicogenic, Hormonal, Migraine, Concussion, Sinus or Cluster headaches... What's your flavor?

Tension headaches, hormonal headaches, cervicogenic headaches, cluster headaches, classic migraines, post-traumatic (concussion) headaches, sinus headaches. What’s your flavor?

Not only do we accept headaches as part of a ‘normal’ lifestyle, but we also make excuses for them.  We’ve had too much coffee, not drank enough water, it’s that time of the month, too much stress etc etc.….

Those of you who have been into my office, or have been following me for a little while will have heard me say that ‘pain is made in the brain’.  In other words, your brain will create for you the sensation of pain when there is a problem and sometimes even if there is only the THREAT of a problem, as a protective mechanism. 

The pain that we experience when we have a headache, is like any other pain in our body.  The brain creates this as a messenger to let us know that something isn’t right, or that something is out of balance.      

For example, your brain can give you a headache if you have taken too much medication or had 1 too many cups of coffee, just to kindly let you know that there is some chemical toxicity happening!

Some headaches are a warning of life-threatening illness, however for the majority of us, headaches are the consequence of lifestyle and daily behaviour.  For many people headaches have even become ‘normal’ and are just another part of their day-to-day experience.  This actually blows my mind.   

I’m here to tell you that headaches do not need to be the norm for you & if you haven’t tried it already, perhaps Chiropractic care could help, along with identifying your triggers of course.  But I mean, don’t take my word for it, let’s look at what the evidence says. 

Posterior Muscles of the Head & Neck - Gray’s Anatomy

Researchers have reviewed all of the RCT’s that have looked at the effects of Chiropractic care or spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) on headaches (4-6) and in these studies, they have compared Chiropractic care to sham care or other interventions. 

The results show that Chiropractic care ACTUALLY DOES help some people with headaches & migraines! (Act surprised).

In one study, (7) the researchers looked at the effects of 2 months of Chiropractic care in 127 people suffering from migraines.  After 2 months, they found that the people in the study who received Chiropractic care got better compared to the control group with all the migraine outcomes that they looked at.  They actually found that for about 1 in 5 people, their migraines almost went away completely after 2 months of Chiropractic Care! And for half of the study participants, the frequency of migraines significantly reduced.  The results of this study suggest that a large number of migraine sufferers respond well to Chiropractic care. 

In another study (8), 80 patients with chronic headaches that were due to a problem in their neck (cervicogenic headaches), received 8 weeks of Chiropractic care & another similar group received 8 weeks of light massage.  What they found in this study was that the patients receiving Chiropractic care improved significantly (nearly 3 x more) compared to the control group that received the massage.  Nearly all of the pain and disability scores the researchers looked at were better in the Chiropractic group! The Chiropractic patients also had fewer headaches and took less medication by the end of the study.

So now we know that Chiropractic care can help.  But how exactly? 

Neuroscience research studies have highlighted that when your spine is not moving properly, this changes the way your brain perceives what is going on in and around you. When your spine is not moving properly it changes the way the brain integrates information and the way it controls your body.  (1-3) (Remember how I mentioned a WAAY up there, that your brain creates your brain?)

The movement of your spine is, in other words, very important for your brain to know where you are in space, and since you cannot see your spine with your eyes, your brain relies on the information it receives from the small muscles closest to your spine & skull.  If these small muscles closest to your spine & skull are tight, or weak & contributing to improper movement patterns in the joints, this can manifest as headaches. 

So, when you get adjusted by your Chiropractor, if your spinal dysfunction was manifesting as a headache, this is likely to improve.  What’s even  better, is if you find a Chiropractor or someone else who can test for nutritional imbalances, this may also help you to identify, manage & reduce exposure to your triggers. 

If you or someone you know experiences headaches, why not spread the word to consider Chiropractic care?  Make sure that your spine is moving well so your brain & body can function at its best!

Disclaimer & references: This information is provided for educational purposes only.  Aspiring Family Chiropractic encourages you to make your own health care decisions based on your own research and in partnership with a qualified healthcare professional. 

Uthaikhup S, Jull G, Sungkarat S, et al. The influence of neck pain on sensorimotor function in the elderly. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2012;55(3):667-72. 2. Haavik H, Murphy B. The role of spinal manipulation in addressing disor-dered sensorimotor integration and altered motor control. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012;22(5):768-76. 3. Treleaven J. Sensorimotor disturbances in neck disorders affecting postural stability, head and eye movement control. Man Ther 2008;13(1):2-11. 4. Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011;34(5):274-89. 5. Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, et al. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropr Osteopat 2010;18:3. 6. Millstine D, Chen CY, Bauer B. Complementary and integrative medicine in the management of headache. BMJ 2017;357. 7. Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Migrane. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000;23(2):91-95. 8. Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, et al. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Spine J 2010;10(2):117-28