Understanding Headaches and How Chiropractic Care Can Help
If you’ve ever felt that pounding pressure behind your eyes after a long day at your desk, you’re not alone. Nearly half of all adults experience headaches every year — and for many, the pain starts in the neck. The good news? Many types of headaches can be treated effectively without relying on medication.
Let’s explore the most common types of headaches, what causes them, and how chiropractic care can help you find lasting relief.
What Causes Headaches?
Headaches can be triggered by a wide range of factors — from dehydration and stress to poor posture and lack of sleep. In general, headaches are categorized into primary and secondary types.
Primary Headaches
Primary headaches are not caused by an underlying disease but are the result of overactivity or issues involving pain-sensitive structures in the head.
Migraine: Often one-sided, throbbing pain that may come with nausea, light sensitivity, and visual disturbances.
Tension Headache: Feels like a tight band around the head, often caused by stress, anxiety, or muscle tension in the scalp and neck.
Cluster Headache: Severe, one-sided pain around the eye or temple, often accompanied by watery eyes or nasal congestion.
There are many medications that can treat or temporarily stop headaches, but some of these drugs can cause significant side effects — including a condition known as Rebound Headaches, where the medication itself leads to more headaches over time.
Secondary Headaches
Secondary headaches result from another condition. While some causes — like infections, tumors, or vascular issues — can be serious, most headaches we see in our office are cervicogenic, meaning they start in the neck.
Cervicogenic headaches arise from dysfunction in the neck joints or surrounding muscles. This irritation can refer pain into the head and is often mistaken for a primary headache. Fortunately, these headaches typically respond very well to chiropractic care.
Our doctors are trained to recognize the difference between primary and secondary headaches and can refer you for further testing if necessary.
Can Headaches Be Managed Without Drugs?
In many cases, yes. Identifying and avoiding triggers — such as sulfites in wine, caffeine, certain cheeses, dehydration, or poor posture — can make a big difference.
Up to 50% of headaches have at least some connection to the neck. By gently adjusting the neck and improving alignment, chiropractors can reduce the irritation that contributes to headache pain. The results can be powerful — even comparable to or better than medication, without the risk of Rebound Headaches.
A 1995 study compared chiropractic neck adjustments to the drug Amitriptyline (often prescribed for tension headaches and depression). The researchers found that spinal manipulation was an effective treatment for tension headaches and that its effects lasted longer with less need for medication afterward.
Those are “side effects” that any headache sufferer can appreciate.
Lasting Relief Through Chiropractic Care
Whether your headaches are occasional or chronic, chiropractic care may help reduce both their frequency and intensity. At our Downtown Syracuse Chiropractic office, our combination of chiropractic adjustments and physiotherapy has helped many patients reduce or eliminate their dependency on medication altogether.
If headaches are interrupting your days, don’t wait for the next one to strike. Book a consultation today — relief could be closer than you think.
References
Boline, P.D., et al. (1995). Spinal manipulation vs. amitriptyline for the treatment of chronic tension-type headaches: a randomized clinical trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 18(3), 148–54.
Manzoni, G.C., & Stovner, L.J. (2010). Epidemiology of Headache. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 97, 3–22.
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, 27th Edition.
National Guideline Clearinghouse. (Accessed 2015).