Headache Treatment in Pittsburgh, PA

Chiropractic & Headaches

Whether occasional or frequent, dull, throbbing headaches or migraine that cause debilitating pain and nausea are common ailments among our patients, in fact, the American Chiropractic Association reports that 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches.

Headaches can have many causes. These can include foods, environmental stimuli, and daily behaviors (like excessive exercise and lack of sleep). About 95% of headaches are "primary" headaches – tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These can be the hardest forms of headache to treat with medications – the causes are often subtle physical problems that an average doctor won't notice.

Recently, many studies have shown that chiropractic care is, in many cases, more effective than medication in treating migraines and other headaches.

● A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-based Practice Center found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headaches than a commonly prescribed medication.

● According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in one study, "22% of those who received chiropractic manipulation reported more than a 90% reduction of attacks. Also, 49% reported a significant reduction of the intensity of each migraine."

● In another study, in which participants were randomly assigned spinal manipulations, medication, or a combination, spinal manipulation worked as well as the medication at reducing migraines and had fewer side effects.

TENSION HEADACHES

Tension headaches are caused by muscular tension and contraction involving the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and head. Often, this tension is a result of emotional stress, though injuries can also set a pattern of muscle contraction into play. It is normal for muscles to contract when we are threatened, irritated or angry, a reaction known as the fight or flight response.

Over time, though, if work or home life creates a constant source of stress from which we can neither fight nor flee, the muscular tension can become chronic. This, in turn, leads to uneven stresses on the skeletal structure of the body and changes in normal posture and movement to compensate. The stress this places on your body can actually change how the vertebrae in your neck work, causing more stress to your muscles as they try to compensate for the shifting support structure beneath them. This can become a vicious cycle that eventually results in pain, often as headache pain.

Chiropractic adjustments, combined with other therapies such as trigger point therapy and massage, can release muscular tension and correct the skeletal changes to break the cycle of pain. Often, patients with chronic headaches will find relief through chiropractic treatments in just a few sessions as muscles relax and nerve irritation is reduced.

MIGRAINE HEADACHES

Migraine headaches are vascular headaches arising from sudden dilation of the blood vessels of the head. No one knows exactly what causes migraine headaches, though the basic mechanism involving both the nervous and vascular systems is well studied. Migraines can be triggered by hormonal changes, foods, smells, weather changes, stress, and many other triggers.

The headaches often begin with symptoms other than pain, such as visual auras, nausea, or sensitivity to light and sound. The headache that follows can vary in intensity but is often severe. Many migraine sufferers have found over-the-counter pain medications to be ineffective and resign themselves to wait out the migraine event in a dark, quiet room. A variety of pharmaceutical drugs have been developed to treat migraines, but none of them work for everyone, and many have unwanted side effects.

Chiropractic can play an important role in treating migraines. Clinical studies, though still preliminary, suggest that chiropractic may have a measurable role in the prevention of migraines. Through manipulation and adjustments of the spine and neck, migraines can often be reduced or prevented. Nerves control vascular system tension, and chiropractic adjustments reduce irritation of the nervous system, beginning with its roots in the spine, also improving vascular flow.

Book Your Chiropractic Treatment Session to Help with Headache Pain

Are you suffering from headaches and migraines? If so, our chiropractor at Cutitta Chiropractic Centre may be able to help. We offer a variety of treatment options. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation in Lawrenceville, PA, which also serves patients from all over the Pittsburgh area.