Headache and Migraine Options

Migraines and headaches are serious and affect many people in Richmond. If you're not sure if you have had a migraine or not, the chances are you probably have not had one. The pain can be mind numbing, and for many patients it leaves them unable to function. The traditional medical system relies on medication for this issue, but for many patients that's not enough. It's important to find the source of whats causing the problem. Our chiropractic office can help.

There are many symptoms that can occur before a headache or migraine starts. Hallucinations, depression, or irritation are some of the symptoms those with migraines may experience. Often those with migraines will try to avoid any light, have an intolerance to loud noises, experience nausea, and vomiting to name a few.

Headaches and Migraines in Richmond

There are several types of headaches. Tension headaches are the most common headache. Posture demands and less than ideal ergonomics on the cervical spine change the tension in the muscles and can stimulate tension headaches.

Tension headaches first thing in the morning, usually in the temple region or sides of head, can often be from Temporal Mandibular Joint issues such as clenching of the teeth or grinding of teeth at night while sleeping. Use of a bite guard, created by your specially trained dentist, may decrease the impact from the clenching or grinding. Sometimes orthodontics are needed to correct the teeth alignment, and on occasion, an occlusal adjustment may be needed.

TMJ induced tension headaches impact the cervical spine as well. The TMJ coordinates motion with the upper cervical bones and muscles in the neck and vice versa. Dysfunction at either site can impact the other. Whiplash injuries often stimulate changes in the TMJ or cervical spine. These injuries are often overlooked, or present a few weeks or months after the injury.

Chiropractic adjustments can help address both the cervical spine dysfunction and TMJ dysfunction (when TMJ dysfunction is due to joint misalignment).

Cluster headaches - these headaches occur in clusters which may be for a few days or weeks once every few months or years. The pain is usually very intense, and around or behind one eye. Depending on the cause of this type of headache, chiropractic adjustments may be able to decrease the frequency or intensity of the migraine.

Migraine headaches - these headaches can be more challenging to treat with conservative chiropractic care. Some cases respond to chiropractic care with a decrease in frequency, duration or intensity. Some cases are not impacted at all. The cause of migraine headaches is hard to determine, thus treatment options must be very specialized to the individual patient.

So How are Headaches Treated?

The kind of treatment for headaches will depend on what is causing the headaches. Our chiropractors work diligently to find the source of your headaches to help you to overcome them. Each year millions of dollars are spent treating headaches with aspirin and other drugs. While this may help in some cases, it is often not treating the cause of the problem. Chiropractors are able to work at the source of the problem, which can help you prevent the need for headache medications.

Don't suffer with headaches and migraines. At Aligned Chiropractic in Richmond our team will help you understand the cause of your condition and the treatment necessary to fix it. Feel free to call and ask any questions that you may have.