A good portion of people around the world get headaches. They can range from being mildly irritating to being debilitating and leaving them barely able to function. Are there options for them aside from taking an over-the-counter painkiller, whether it be ibuprofen or acetaminophen or aspirin?
Yes, there is another thing for them to consider: seeing a chiropractor. There are a variety of procedures that can be done. The first thing though, is to delve into the different types of headaches that exist.
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These headaches are usually stress-induced since one’s neck muscles may stay tense for a long time. Some people like taking those aforementioned painkillers and find success there. Others may benefit from chiropractic treatment.
The options here tend to be low-load cranio-cervical mobilization, which means rhythmic stretching and joint mobilization is used rather than the more forceful spinal manipulation.
This is the most uncommon of headaches - and spinal manipulation can be a good option for the people that suffer them. The symptoms are pain that begins at the back of the head and stays on that side, along with neck and shoulder pain. Neck injuries are usually the culprit here.
Medication can’t ease the symptoms, so it has been found that spinal manipulation can be of benefit to these patients. The chiropractor will be working with the upper cervical part of the spine. There can also be joint mobilization exercises and neck flexion exercises to strengthen the neck along with proper chiropractic corrective measures.
These are the headaches that can make people’s lives miserable. They feel nauseous, see auras and often want to retreat to a dark room because light is painful.
Chiropractic corrective care procedures are the best option here because the upper cervical spine just below the skull controls all of the inflow and outflow through the brain. A short circuit here can lead to debilitating migraine headaches that do not respond to other therapies. Some doctors do things like neuromuscular massage and possibly combine other disciplines like relaxation techniques, dietary counseling, and stress management. However the underlying spinal misalignment must be corrected for true long lasting changes to take place.
Most of these headaches can be traced to “triggers”, which can be quite wide-ranging, from a certain type of food to being dehydrated to low blood sugar to allergies.
There are things that people can do on their own in conjunction with seeing a chiropractor. They should consider taking a break every half-hour to hour and getting up from the computer and stretch, being sure to move one’s neck around. Monitoring their food intake is important, and keep sugar levels in balance are recommended to make it easier to spot a headache trigger.
Lifestyle plays a big part in terms of headaches, so being aware of what is going on around then can help reduce the risk of headaches. Chiropractic help can be an important tool.
Dr. Robert Gucciardo has been helping people with headaches for many years, specifically targeting the upper cervical spine as well as the craniocervical junction. His work with them has had them leaving with pain-free heads. He’s based in Howard Beach - give him a call: 718-550-5790.
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Dr. Robert Gucciardo
162-07 91st Street
Howard Beach, NY 11414
Phone: 718-550-5790
Website: https://drgucciardo.com
