Sufferers of migraines and other chronic headaches regularly deal with more pain than many of us could imagine. It’s tough to fathom mind-numbing agony coming directly from the area that’s in charge of the entire body unless you’ve been there, and pain reduction is naturally a top priority for people who suffer from these conditions.
As a natural alternative to heavy pain medication, chiropractic care for migraines and other headaches has become more popular in recent years. It’s one of several overall wellness services we offer at Apollo Chiropractic, where our chiropractors have been serving the Salt Lake City area for years.
How can a chiropractor help with migraine and headache issues?
Triggers
All headaches have triggers, or primary causes. Only about 5 percent of headache cases are actually signaling outside physical problems – the vast majority, including migraines, are not caused by some other disease and are their own issue. These are called “primary headaches.”
Primary headaches have their own set of potential causes, including everything from food to noise to behaviors, but their most common individual cause is muscle tension in the neck – and this is where massage therapy from a chiropractor can come into play. Especially for people who sit in a fixed position for long periods or work in an occupation that puts strain on the neck, chiropractic care can be one of the most organic ways to reduce or eliminate pain symptoms.
Chiropractic Adjustments
To help alleviate some of the pain from headaches, your chiropractor can make some subtle adjustments to lessen that neck tension. These will also be adjustments which improve overall spinal function, and help remove some of the stress on that entire system which can contribute to headaches.
That’s not all a chiropractor can help with, however. They can also offer advice and recommendations in several other important areas, including posture and nutrition. They can send you home with relaxation techniques for joint irritation in the neck and back, and keep you prepared to fight your symptoms even when you aren’t receiving an adjustment.
At-Home Exercises
Your chiropractor may give you several more specific exercises or activities for your situation, but a few general suggestions to help prevent migraines and other headaches:
- Stretch – especially important for people who sit for long periods during the day
- Don’t clench your teeth – can lead to stress in the joints and tension headaches
- Drink lots of water – dehydration causes many headaches
- Low-impact exercise (pause or stop altogether if headache symptoms begin during exercise)
If you are interested in learning more about this or any other pain management therapy we offer at Apollo Chiropractic, our friendly staff is awaiting your call.
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