Understanding the difference between a headache and a migraine is essential to determining the best treatment for your chronic condition. While the two are similar, they are not interchangeable terms. Headache symptoms usually occur on the sides of your head, causing aches and pressure on your neck, temples, or forehead. Stress, tension, and sinus headaches are the most common types. Migraines are more severe and intense than regular headaches and often produce accompanying symptoms, including vision loss, nausea/vomiting, and a sensitivity to lights and sounds. Migraine pain typically affects only one side of the head, although it may cause pain in the temples. Some migraine patients also have difficulty forming cohesive thoughts and experience heightened senses, flashing lights, and numbness or tingling in their hands or face. Headache and migraine symptoms will vary by person.
Chronic headaches and migraines are often caused by anxiety, tension, or stress. They may be triggered by specific medications, smells, or food ingredients, including caffeine, MSG, and nitrites. Many people don’t realize having a spinal misalignment could also be the culprit. You don’t have to sustain a spinal or traumatic brain injury in a car accident to trigger chronic headaches and migraines. Many daily activities such as using computers or mobile devices can contribute to poor posture, putting additional pressure on your body’s spinal column, joints, muscles, ligaments, and discs.
The benefits of chiropractic care extend far beyond treating chronic lower back, neck, or shoulder pain. Chiropractic care can help you relieve the tension in your neck and shoulders, which could be triggering your chronic headaches. It has also been shown to help reduce stress, inflammation, pain, and even your blood pressure. Chiropractic adjustments for headaches help improve your range of motion and flexibility in your neck and shoulders. A spinal alignment also allows your blood to circulate more freely, thus easing the inflammation and irritation that often cause headaches.
Visiting a headache chiropractor can help you avoid surgery or reliance on medications that only alleviate symptoms and don’t address the underlying cause of your chronic headache pain. Chiropractic treatment for migraine headaches may include spinal adjustments, massage therapy, electronic stimulation, and other proven techniques. If you could use chiropractic care for migraines or headaches in the Salem or Aloha area, consider visiting Oregon Medical Centers for top-notch treatment.
Since 1990, the Oregon Medical Centers team has diagnosed and treated various chronic conditions, including headaches, pinched nerves, herniated discs, osteoarthritis, sciatica, whiplash, peripheral neuropathy, and more. Our Salem and Aloha practices are premier providers of chiropractic treatments, physical therapy, massage, and alternative medicine. We cater to the wellness needs of every member of the family, offering high-level care and compassion for patients of all ages and backgrounds. We also schedule follow-up appointments with our patients to track their progress to ensure positive outcomes. Whatever ails you, we can help ease your pain to improve your range of motion and quality of life.
Whether you suffer from stress headaches or cervicogenic headaches after a car accident, chiropractic care effectively treats many different types of headaches and migraines. Are you curious how a chiropractic adjustment could help your headaches? Contact Oregon Medical Centers or book an appointment online with one of our headache chiropractors in Aloha or Salem. We customize our treatment plans to your specific needs and health goals. Alleviate your chronic headache or migraine pain today and begin living the life you love and deserve!
