A large portion of the population suffers from headaches to varying degrees, yet a lot of people are not aware that Chiropractic treatment can help to successfully manage headaches.
There are a number of different types of headaches from cluster headaches, migraines, tension headaches, to those associated with eye strain, hormones, sinus or impacted teeth to name a few. The most common types of headaches I see every day in my practice are tension headaches, sinus related headaches or hormone related headaches. No matter the cause, headaches can seriously impact your day-to-day life.
What Causes a Headache?
Even though headaches can feel like the brain itself is hurting, the brain does not have the ability to sense pain. It is actually a cling film-like tissue that wraps around the brain and spinal cord called the “dura” which perceives pain. The dura contains a large amount of blood vessels, and the most common cause of headaches is a change in blood flow to the brain and dura.
What causes pressure on the blood vessel?
There are numerous things that can induce a change in blood flow to the brain such as blood pressure issues, hormone changes (especially spikes in oestrogen) or physical pressure put on the blood vessels directly where they travel through the dura. The most common cause of physical pressure on blood vessels as they travel through the dura surrounding the brain and spinal cord arise from distortions in the position and motion of the bones that make up your skull, called cranial bones.
The skull is made up of 8 cranial bones which are interlocked together by fibrous extensions of the bones to form a suture. The cranial bones, although interlocked together still need to have some small degree of motion to pivot and flex, much like the plates of the earth. Sometimes the cranial bones can become jammed through things such as the birthing process, a bump to the head or jaw problems. When the cranial bones cannot flex and move normally, pressure is placed on the underlying dura that attaches to the cranial bones inside the skull. This in turn pulls on the blood vessels that travel through the dura altering blood flow to the brain, creating a headache.
What can I do about my headaches?
Chiropractic treatment can help relieve, monitor and effectively manage most of the causes of headaches mentioned above through hormone profiling, spinal adjustments to maintain good posture and subtle cranial adjustments for long term resolution of headaches and their associated symptoms.
Back on Track Chiropractic is open in the Glenorie Shopping Village to help you reach your optimum health so if you or someone you know suffers from headaches, come in and visit us at shop 19, 930 Old Northern Road, Glenorie or phone Kirsty on 9652 1381.
A Note of Thanks… Back on Track Chiropractic is coming up to its 7th Birthday. We would like to sincerely thank the community for supporting our business. We look forward to looking after the community’s health for many years to come.
