Headache Relief in Plantation

Treatment for Headaches

Are you seeking effective headache relief in Plantation? Whether you've been enduring headaches for years or are experiencing them more recently, relying on over-the-counter medications for temporary relief may not provide lasting results. Chiropractic care offers a holistic approach to treating headaches and migraines, addressing both symptoms and underlying causes to help you find lasting relief.

Types of Headaches:

There are different types of headaches. First, red flags and serious health conditions must be ruled out as a source. Once that has occurred, the following are common headaches that we can assess for:

Migraine - Migraines are recurrent episodes of unilateral throbbing headaches lasting 1 - 3 days. Migraines can come with or without an aura. Auras are visual disturbances (photophobia) or auditory disturbances (phonophobia). Migraines can have triggers such as alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate to name a few. Treatment for migraines includes looking at your diet, providing supplementation, and incorpoating lifestyle modifications, as well as chiropractic adjustments and manual therapy as needed.
Tension Headache - Tension headaches present as a band-like or squeezing feeling bilaterally around the head. These are normally related to stress, muscle tension or fatigue. Tension headaches are more common in the afternoon or early evening. Chiropractic treatment includes stress management and ergonomic correction to help decrease pain.
Cervicogenic Headache - Cervicogenic headaches can present with bilateral or unilateral head pain that originates from the cervical spine. Pain may increase with neck movement and with aberrant firing of cervical mechanoreceptors. You may experience pain into the forehead, behind the eye and/or side of the head. This is also coupled with tenderness in the neck muscles, decreased range of motion, and changes in muscle tone of the neck. Treatment involves cervical stregthening, postural support, chiropractic adjustments and manual therapies to help decrease muscle spasm.
Cluster Headache - Cluster headaches can resemble migraine headaches because they are one-sided. Triggers for cluster headaches include but are not limited to alcohol, changes in pressure, and even afternoon naps. Cluster headaches are more common in males. Symptoms include, drooping of eye lid, irritation to eyes (red eyes), increased tearing and increased nasal congestion. Treatment can include cervical adjustments.

Causes of Migraines and Headaches

Many people ask, What causes headaches or what causes migraines. When it comes to a migraine, it is more than likely due to vascular dilation and constriction. Tension-type headaches are caused by muscle contraction of muscles in the head, similar to cervicogenic headaches, which stem from cervical muscle contraction. Although these factors are suspected to cause headaches, exact etiology is still unknown. Chiropractors have been tackling issues regarding headaches and migraines for a long time. A chiropractor must examine all the factors in your life to determine what has caused your headache or migraine to then asses the best approach.

How do Chiropractors Treat Migraines and Headaches

Chiropractors treat migraines and headaches in more people than you may think. This can be done through what is called an "adjustment". Mechanical dysfunctions of the vertebrae may cause tension in the neck. The misalignment can affect blood flow and irritate the nerves in that area. By giving a chiropractic adjustment, your chiropractor is affecting the blood flow of the neck and brain. By alleviating the tension in this area, this can help take pressure of the nerves that are causing pain that is associated with migraines and headaches.

Some other methods chiropractors use to treat headaches is through trigger point therapy and myofascial release. These methods of treatment are what is called "soft tissue" approaches. other methods that will dramatically make a difference come from the posture changes made at places like when you sit at a desk or phrase you may have heard "Text Neck" which is the result of looking down at one's phone for prolonged periods of time. Consider that there are many factors in ones life through workstation posture and everyday activities that may result in migraines or headaches.

At Stumpff Chiropractic, our chiropractor will provide an exam and gather extensive history to determine which factors are the cause of your headaches and migraines. If you have been experiencing headaches or have a history of migraines and are looking for headache relief in Plantation, Stumpff Chiropractic is here to help. For more information and to schedule an appointment at our Plantation office, call 954-368-4054.