Causes and Treatment of Headache Pain

One of the things we deal with quite a lot are headaches. Whether headaches are an isolated incident or recurring, they aren’t normal and offer a signal that something has gone askew. While a brain is without nerve fibers, and therefore doesn’t feel pain, the tissue and /structure surrounding the brain can become inflamed. Even the facial area can be affected.  A patient who seeks treatment for tension headaches needs a diagnosis and help to find the cause of the headaches and forms of relief.  

Chiropractic adjustment is a satisfactory solution to  the majority of headaches, particularly those which originate in the neck area. Your chiropractor can offer headache treatment, which will help avoid the need for pharmaceutical intervention.This, in turn, relieves the patient from having to worry about various side effects.

Stress headaches

The most common headaches are stress headaches, which are often recurrent. Both physical and emotional factors can trigger stress headaches. A stress headache can cause neck spasms and are often described as a ‘hatband’ headache since that is an area often affected by stress headaches. They can often be exacerbated or made worse by over-the-counter pain relief medications.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are headaches which occur in clusters, that is, a cluster of headaches in a short time period, anywhere from a few hours apart or daily for a few days. They can also be headaches which wake a person from a sound sleep and cause the worst kind of pain, described as having pain behind or around one eye. These headaches can be debilitating, can cause watering of the nose or eye, and restlessness.

Migraine headaches

Another common kind of headache is a migraine headache. Migraine headaches can be on one or both sides of the head and caused by hormones, stress, food, or other factors.  Although many people consider severe headache pain to be a migraine, most migraines are accompanied by a sensitivity to light, sound, or odors and can be accompanied by vomiting or a visual aura.

What to avoid

Stress, disruption or lack of sleep, smoking, wine (not a hangover), hormones, food, genetics, and biological conditions can cause headaches. These causes vary and should be eliminated one by one to see what brings relief. Headache medication, while it brings relieve, doesn’t fix the headache, it simply intercepts the body’s ability to feel it.

Secondary causes of headaches

The best solution for recurrent headaches is to attempt to find the reasons for them. The causes of secondary headaches may include trauma, structural problems of the teeth, jaw, sinuses or ears, infections, exertion, substance abuse withdrawal, or other disorders.

Relief

Treatment is determined by the type of headache, symptoms, and causes of them. An occasional headache is not surprising. Recurrent headaches can lead to depression, decreased productivity, loss of enjoyment of life, and even suicidal thoughts. Therefore, it’s essential to obtain a diagnosis, learn the triggers, and get the relief a patient needs to get them back on the path to a happy, pain-free life.