Essential Guide to Headache Pain & Relief

Headaches are a very common condition that most people will experience many times during their lives. The issue becomes when the headaches are constant or very very painful – to the point where they disrupt your life.

Often times people want to reach for medication, which may only provide temporary relief and not get to the root problem of why the headache originates.

The information in this guide can help you understand why you get headaches, the many types of headaches, how you may be able to prevent headaches on your own and when to seek help.

Causes

Symptoms

At Home Management

Treatment

South Orange Chiropractic has created this Essential Guide to Headache Pain and Recovery to find information about recovering from headache pain.

Causes of Headache

Headaches can be caused by stress, dehydration, poor alignment, an injury, a bad night’s sleep or by food that doesn’t agree with you. If a headache is lasting longer than a couple of days, it may be time to get it checked out. Most Americans will experience headaches, it is the ones that come on for seemingly no reason, or ones that don’t go away quickly that may give indication something else in your body needs attention.

Symptoms of Headache

There are various types of headaches. The root cause of your headache may be easier to figure out if you can identify the symptoms of your headache. Tension – the most common; characterized by constant aching near the temples or back of the head and neck.

Cluster– happen on one side of the head, and are often debilitating and accompanied by watery eyes and a runny nose.
Sinus– due to inflamed sinuses from infection or allergies.
Rebound – headaches actually caused by taking too many OTC pain relievers.
Migraines– lasting between 4 and 72 hours, and accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and throbbing pain.

At-Home Management of Headache

Here are some ways to relieve headaches:

  1. Exercise Regularly – Consistent exercise, even if it’s walking, can help alleviate tension and relax some of the muscles that may be contributing to your headache pain.
  2. Stretch Throughout the Day – If you work at a desk or on a computer all day it is suggested that you stand up every 30 minutes and stretch. Spending just a couple of minutes stretching can do wonders for the tension that can accumulate after a full day of sitting. A chiropractor can show you some simple, effective stretches to add to your daily routine.
  3. Be mindful of your sleeping position – If you regularly wake up with a headache you may want to take note of how you’re sleeping at night. Keeping your spine neutral position can help take the tension away from your neck and keep you headache-free in the morning.
  4. Reduce stress – Not only can stress directly contribute to your headaches, but the habits that we develop because of stress can be triggers. For example, many people clench their jaw unknowingly when they are stressed out. This tension can build-up and lead to frequent headaches

Headache Treatment

If you’ve never visited a chiropractor, you might not know what their techniques consist of. A chiropractor will use a range of strategies to relax your muscles and make adjustments to your spine, and unlike taking a pill, these techniques are more long-term in nature. Focusing on trigger points and manipulating your spine back into line, can help prevent the cause of your headaches. If you are taking pills on a daily basis because of chronic headache problems, consider trying an option that will help you avoid potential kidney and liver damage that can result from the consistent use of painkillers.

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