Headache

What is a headache?

Pain anywhere in the head characterizes headaches. It can be isolated to one side, occur on both sides, radiate from one point to another, or have a viselike quality that involves your entire head.

Headache pain can vary in severity, whether it’s a dull ache, sharp pain, or throbbing. Some headache pain is joined with additional symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and auras (vision disturbances).

What causes a headache?

The brain itself doesn’t feel pain, so when you’re experiencing a headache, it’s the surrounding tissue, blood vessels, nerves, and brain chemicals that are creating your pain signals.

There are two classifications for headaches: primary and secondary. The causes of headaches are organized based on the type of headache.

Primary headaches

Overactivity or problems with pain-sensitive structures cause these headaches. The nerves and blood vessels around the skull, chemical activity in the brain, genetics, and head and neck muscles can play a role in these headaches.

The most common primary headaches are migraines, cluster, tension, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC).

Primary headaches can be triggered by several lifestyle factors including:

• Stress
• Lack or changes in sleep
• Poor posture
• Certain foods
• Missed meals

Secondary headaches

Secondary headaches are symptoms of a disease that has activated the pain-sensitive nerves in the head. Common types of secondary headaches include sinus, spinal, and ice cream headaches.

Several conditions can cause secondary headaches, including:

• Dehydration
• Acute sinusitis
• Ear infections
• Stroke
• High blood pressure

Are there treatments for headaches?

Your Absolute Healthcare team can relieve the most stubborn headache pains with chiropractic care. For example, even patients who have had decades-long histories of headache pain can find relief when they receive care from Dr. Joseph Pate (especially if drug and neurological therapies have failed them).

Identifying the cause of your headache pain is the first step to determining an effective treatment. Your doctor at Absolute Healthcare Advanced Chiropractic is trained to identify pain that may be the result of physical misalignment.

For your convenience, the clinic offers state-of-the-art laboratory testing, ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computerized tomography (CT), and standard X-ray studies on-site to assist with diagnosis.

When your injury is diagnosed, your doctor may recommend:

• Chiropractic manipulation
• Massage therapy
• Spinal decompression
• Board-certified acupuncture
• Physical rehabilitation

In addition to physical chiropractic care, your doctor may recommend nutritional changes and dietary supplements to manage your headaches.

Call or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about how Absolute Healthcare Advanced Chiropractic can effectively treat your headaches without pain relievers and medication.