Research: Chiropractic Helps Tension Headaches

Did you know there are many types of headaches? There are cluster headaches, migraine headaches, sinus headaches, allergy headaches, fever headaches, hangover headaches, new daily persistent headaches, eyestrain headaches, depression headaches, hypertension headaches, menstrual headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and even tumor headaches and aneurysm headaches.

They're all headaches. But they all stem from different sources and require different types of treatment.

There is one type of headache that I'd venture to say is probably the most common type of headache, particularly in our brand new modern age of computers, cars, and smartphones. The Tension Headache. This particular headache results from overworked neck, shoulder, and head muscles that refer pain to the head, making it appear as though your head hurts even though it's the surrounding muscles that are troubled. The tension headache will feel like dull pain, not throbbing pain, that doesn't seem to go away until you rest or lay down for a good night's sleep.

Many people try to relieve their tension headaches with acetaminophen or ibuprofen. The problem with this method is that because tension headaches tend to recur with resumption of certain habitual postures and/or activities, you'll need to take a lot of acetaminophen and ibuprofen over weeks and months. Unfortunately, it has been well-established that these over-the-counter medications may have dangerous side effects to the stomach, to the liver, and to the kidneys.

Fortunately, chiropractic has a long track record of working wonders with tension headaches.

A recent meta-analysis (that's when researchers research the research...) performed by the medical researchers at Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center looked into the treatment options for tension headache. It comes as no surprise that chiropractic adjustments were among the most effective treatments studied, particularly when neck pain/dysfunction was found in conjunction with the ongoing tension headaches:

Cervical spinal manipulation was associated with improvement in headache outcomes in two trials involving patients with neck pain and/or neck dysfunction and headache. Manipulation appeared to result in immediate improvement in headache severity when used to treat episodes of cervicogenic headache when compared with an attention-placebo control. Furthermore,when compared to soft-tissue therapies (massage), a course of manipulation treatments resulted in sustained improvement in headache frequency and severity.

When a chiropractor performs spinal adjustments along with postural modifications, ergonomic suggestions, ice packs, and other relaxation techniques, patients tend to see marvelous things happen.