Chiropractic care, which includes a combination of joint and vertebral adjustments, is often used for headache management and prevention. Chiropractic care helps to decrease the frequency and duration of headaches (not all types) and migraines. The most common question we get in our practice is what is the difference between a migraine and a headache?
Spinal adjustments: The cervical spine (upper part of the spine in the neck) is the region of focus when spinal manipulation is used for treating cervicogenic headaches. Gentle neck and occiput adjustment help to relieve misalignment and allowing the nerves to supply the muscles around the head.
Deep neck flexion exercises: These exercises involve actively moving your muscles and joints under the guidance of a healthcare professional. It is important to do these exercises under the supervision of professionals to avoid any injury.
Trigger point release: direct pressure to points that refer to pain to the front of the head. Ultimately the goal is to keep suboccipital muscles relaxed. This tension is commonly found in people with high levels of stress.
Spinal manipulation: The cervical spine (upper part of the spine in the neck) is the region of focus when spinal manipulation is used for treating cervicogenic headaches.
Facial bone adjustment: adjusting bones such as the frontal (forehead), zygomatic (cheekbones), and temporal (temples) helps to keep the good alignment in the skull allowing correct pressure in the facial and sphenoid sinuses.
Trigger point release: release pressure in trigger points that may be present in the face and occiput may help in alleviating pressure during a migraine attack.
Keeping a diary: is very important to find out the triggers. There are smartphone apps and other free diary resources which can help you keep track of your triggers.
See also: 5 simple ways to reduce headaches and migraines
Exercises
See external research articles about this topic:
Read more about migraines and headaches in related articles on our blog HERE