Headaches are often caused by problems in the joints, nerves and muscles of the neck. The upper part of the back of the neck is where we find numerous little muscles and nerves which can become irritated and contribute to headaches. Chiropractors are well-trained in detecting these problems and eliminating them.
It is important to understand that medications such as Tylenol or Aspirin only mask the symptoms of a headache. Chiropractors search for the cause of the headache. If you can remove the cause you remove the symptoms as well.
Headaches are often multi-factorial – that is, they have many triggers which, when present at the same time, will create a headache. Some of the factors known to trigger migraines, for example, include red wine, certain scents, certain foods, stress at work, tension, bright light and noise,. When the right combination of triggers are present, a headache occurs. You cannot control many of the triggers, such as noise or smells in the air; however, you can control a few and often that is enough to prevent a headache. Obviously, if a certain food triggers a headache and you can avoid that food you will be at a lesser risk of having a headache. One of the most overlooked yet easiest factors to control is a problem in the upper neck. Treating muscle or joint problems in the neck is often enough to eliminate headaches.