Common Types of Headaches and Their Treatments

We all get headaches from time to time.

There are many different types of these uncomfortable ailments, with their own levels of severity.

“For some people, headaches are part of their everyday lives, and unfortunately it has become normal to have a headache several times a week or daily,” says Dr. Michael Waido at Sycamore Integrated Health.

“Headaches are a result of physical, chemical or emotional stress on the body which creates tension on the muscles and vascular tissue that surround the head by irritating the nervous system.”

Some of the most common types of headaches include:

Tension headaches – These are the most common type among teenagers and adults. The pain is typically mild, and they start and stop regularly.

Migraine headaches – Migraines are severe and can last anywhere from hours to days. The pain is often a throbbing or pounding, and sometimes other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light can accompany them.

Cluster headaches – These are the most severe type of headache. The pain is typically centered around or behind the eye, which can cause your eyes to redden and your eyelid to lower. Their name comes from their frequency, as they appear in “clusters” multiple times per day. Men are three times as likely to develop cluster headaches than women.

Chronic daily headaches – These headaches occur for more than two weeks’ time in a month, making you feel as though you have a headache every day.

Sinus headaches – Sinus pain can appear in your cheekbones, behind your eyes, forehead or on the bridge of your nose. Often, sinus headaches are accompanied by a runny nose, popping ears and a feeling of pressure and facial swelling.

Although headaches are painful and uncomfortable, chiropractic care and physical medicine can help.

“Over 90% of headaches are considered to be cervicogenic, meaning from the neck,” Dr. Waido said. “The good news is that as chiropractors we assess for dysfunction in the spine and treat it with a variety of methods.”

The safe, non-invasive adjustments your chiropractor makes to the spine can lessen the pressure on your nerves and increase mobility in the back and upper neck. This will improve your body’s alignment and can reduce the discomfort and inflammation that directly contributes to headaches.

“Most commonly, we treat spinal dysfunction with manual chiropractic adjustments to restore movement and function of the joints,” Dr. Waido continues.

By its very nature, chiropractic care addresses the root of the problem(s) instead of just hiding them. The natural manipulations to the nervous system through adjustments will increase pain response and comfort levels, which can allow headache symptoms to subside or disappear.

“My advice to people who commonly experience headaches is to absolutely get evaluated by a chiropractor,” Dr. Waido said. “You will no longer be burdened with trying to manage the discomfort of frequent headaches.”

For more information on chiropractic care for headaches, visit www.sycamoreintegratedhealth.com or call 815-895-3354.

Sycamore Integrated Health

920 W Prairie Dr STE J

Sycamore, IL 60178