Types of Headaches
Headaches can be mildly irritating or so debilitating that you lose time out of your day dealing with the pain. Many patients visit Atlantic Chiropractic and Rehabilitation in Chesapeake, VA to receive all-natural treatment for these three common types of headaches:
Tension Headaches
Poor sleep, chronic stress, bad posture, and many other factors can trigger tension headaches in people of all ages. Because an unhealthy lifestyle is a driving cause, adults are more likely to suffer from this type of headache.
Tenison headaches are classified by:
- Mild to moderate pain that wraps around the head
- Pain relieved by Advil, Tylenol, or Aspirin
- Worsened by increased blood flow to the head (bending, exercise, lying flat)
Migraine Headaches
Migraines cause a deep, throbbing pain on one side of the head. Each year, one billion people worldwide experience a migraine, making it the second most common type of headache.
Migraine symptoms include:
- Increased sensitivity to light and sound
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain that comes on gradually and lasts for several hours to three days
- Pain that does not respond to OTC headache treatment
- Abdominal discomfort
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women are twice as likely to experience severe headaches and migraines compared to men. Hormones are partly to blame: fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone during the luteal phase may trigger severe headaches. Poor posture is also an often-overlooked migraine trigger. Hunching, slumping, and sitting the wrong way for hours at a time stresses the myofascial trigger points and strains the neck, which may cause migraines.
Cluster Headaches
Unlike migraines and tension headaches, cluster headaches strike suddenly and cause unrelenting pain for an unpredictable amount of time. They tend to recur episodically, meaning that having one cluster headache puts you at risk for future attacks. The full range of symptoms include:
- Excruciating pain lasting several minutes to several hours
- Losing color in your face
- Reddening or drooping of the eye on the affected side
- Facial or forehead sweating
Reduce Headache Symptoms With Our Experienced Chiropractor
If you suffer from headaches more than several times per month and can't pinpoint your triggers, Atlantic Chiropractic and Rehabilitation can help. Dr. Santjer has more than 30 years of experience assisting patients in Chesapeake, VA, and surrounding areas with painful headache symptoms. Gentle spinal adjustments, myofascial release, and massage resolve the root of your problem.