A headache can easily derail your workday or fun time — and chronic headaches can extend the misery until you simply cannot live the life you want. Headaches can occur in several forms for a variety of reasons, from a car accident injury to chronic muscle tension or nerve dysfunction. Here at Cornerstone Chiropractic, our chiropractor can provide you with safe, natural, drug-free treatment options so you can regain your quality of life.

Headache Types, Causes, and Symptoms

Headaches may assume several forms, the most common examples of which include tension headaches, cluster headaches, and migraine headaches. Tension headaches originate from tight or strained muscles in the neck, at the base of the skull. As these muscles go into spasm, they pull on membranes that respond by sending pain messages into the head. A whiplash injury or other acute neck injury can produce tension headaches as a side effect. However, you may also be vulnerable to tension headaches due to emotional stress or an imbalance between your skull and your cervical vertebrae.

Cluster headaches usually occur at night. These intense headaches tend to cause pain in or around one eye, with clusters of such headaches recurring several times a year. Migraine headaches are at least as agonizing as cluster headaches, causing not only intense pain but also nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and vision abnormalities. Whiplash injuries, hormonal changes, certain foods, and fluctuations in the weather can trigger migraines. Both migraines and cluster headaches involve a sudden change in blood vessel diameter, the result of abnormal nerve signals.

Chiropractic Adjustment and Other Natural Approaches

Chiropractic adjustment can correct underlying imbalances associated with chronic headaches. Our Charleston chiropractor can detect a misalignment in the cervical spine that places your neck muscles under undue strain and/or interferes with normal nerve function. Careful, precise adjustments to these vertebrae can relieve nerve compression, allowing your cranial nerves and blood vessels to work normally again. They can also balance your head on your neck more evenly, easing the muscular stress that causes both tension headaches and neck pain.

You may benefit from a holistic or multi-modal approach that makes use of several natural, drug-free strategies. For example, massage therapy and dry needling can both relax tight knots of muscle in the neck. Laser therapy can help damaged neck muscles heal from a car accident injury. Corrective exercises can help you improve your neck and head posture. We can even advise you on lifestyle changes to minimize your future headache risks.

Schedule an Appointment with Our Chiropractor for Headache Treatment in Everett, WA, and Seattle, WA

Call Cornerstone Chiropractic today at (425) 379-6301 for more information or to schedule an appointment