Health Update: Headaches

What Is It and What Can I Do About It?

“I woke up this morning with an excruciating headache.  I thought the top of my head was going to blow off!”  “I notice as the day goes on, tightness in my neck worsens and I get a headache usually by 2-3pm.” “I don’t know if I can do my work with my headaches.”

These are common patient history entries we frequently receive at our clinic.  Headaches are one of the most common complaints prompting patients to visit a health care provider.  Many patients ask, “...what is a headache?”  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describe four types of headache: vascular, muscular contraction or tension, traction and inflammatory.

The most common form of a vascular headache is migraine.  Migraine sufferers usually complain of severe pain on one or both sides of the head, nausea or vomiting and sometimes visual changes.  There is often a heightened sensitivity to light or noise prompting migraine sufferers to lay in a dark, quiet room until the migraine passes.  Women are more likely to suffer from migraines than men and the severity of symptoms can be so extreme that all activity must be stopped until it passes.

The next most common type of vascular headache is the toxic headache produced by a fever.  Other vascular headache types include “cluster” headaches, which are characterized by repeated episodes of intense pain that start in one spot and spread out from that spot.  These may only last a few minutes to an hour but carry a very high level of pain and activity intolerance.  Another common type of vascular headache is that resulting from high blood pressure.

Muscle contraction or tension headaches involve tightening of the facial and neck muscles.  These often start in the neck and radiate over the top or to the sides of the head.  The muscles in the neck are usually extremely tight and tender and often, moderate pressure applied with the finger or thumb to these muscles will prompt radiating pain into and/or over the top of the head.  This can also result in significant activity intolerance but usually not as severe as migraine or cluster headaches.

Traction and inflammatory headaches result because of other conditions that range from a sinus infection to a stroke.  These types of headaches can serve as a warning sign of a more significant or serious condition.  Another example is meningitis as well as other conditions affecting the sinuses, spine, neck, ear, and teeth.

The NIH suggests, when headaches occur ≥3 times a month, that “… preventive treatment is usually recommended.” Certainly, in some cases, medication may be indicated but only after ruling out a more serious condition and after exhausting less invasive treatments that carry fewer side effects.

The American Chiropractic Association recommends:
1) avoid long time periods of staying in one position (computer, sewing machine, reading, etc.) and take stretching/neck range of motion exercise breaks every ½ to 1 hour
2) Exercise – walking, low impact aerobics
3) Avoid teeth clenching (due to straining the temporomandibular – TMJ, or jaw joint)
4) Drink lots of water – stay hydrated.

Chiropractic care may include spinal manipulation (adjustments), nutritional advice (dietary suggestions, vitamin/mineral options such as a B complex), exercise, posture retraining, and relaxation techniques.  If you, a family member or a friend require care, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown by choosing our service.  If headaches are a problem, doesn’t a trial of chiropractic make sense prior to utilizing a more risk oriented treatment option?  We look forward in serving you and your family.

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ACUPUNCTURE AND MIGRAINES

Migraine attacks are severe headaches that last from 4 to 72 hours. The pain is often on one side of your head, throbbing and gets worse when you move. You may also have other symptoms, such as feeling and being sick or being extra-sensitive to sound or light. About 1 in 6 people who have migraines get what's called an aura. This can cause symptoms like temporary problems with your vision, or pins and needles or numbness in parts of your body. You may be more likely to get a migraine attack if you are tired, hungry or stressed, or eat or drink certain foods. Migraines are common. About 1 in 10 people will have a migraine attack in any one year and nearly 1 in 5 people will have an attack at some point in their life. Women are more likely to have migraine attacks than men.

How acupuncture can help?

Traditional acupuncture theory sees pain as being largely due to obstruction of the body’s vital energy or qi. Acupuncture needles are thought to act like switches in the body’s energy circuits, freeing up stagnant energy and getting it flowing.

Research has shown that acupuncture is significantly better than no treatment and also at least as good, if not better than, standard medical care for migraine. From a biomedical perspective, acupuncture can help in the treatment of migraine by:

• providing pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of pain killing endorphins and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord.

• reducing inflammation – by promoting release of various biochemical substances.

• increasing blood flow in and around the brain.

• affecting the brain levels of a chemical called serotonin, which has various functions, including control of appetite and mood.

Traditional acupuncture takes a holistic approach to health and regards illness as a sign that the body is out of balance. The exact pattern and degree of imbalance is unique to each individual. The traditional acupuncturist’s skill lies in identifying the precise nature of the underlying disharmony and selecting the most effective treatment. The choice of acupuncture points will be specific to each patient’s needs. Traditional acupuncture can also be used as a preventive measure to strengthen the constitution and promote general well-being.

An increasing weight of evidence from Western scientific research is demonstrating the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating a wide variety of conditions. From a biomedical viewpoint, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system, influencing the production of the body’s communication substances - hormones and neurotransmitters. The resulting biochemical changes activate the body's self-regulating homeostatic systems, stimulating its natural healing abilities and promoting physical and emotional well-being.

by Dr. Maria Phillips, DAOM, L.Ac.