At my chiropractic office in San Diego, one of the most common complaints that new patients present with is headaches. To many of us who don’t suffer from chronic or severe headaches, this condition may seem a minor health problem. However, they have major implications on the affected patient and on society as a whole. In 2007, headaches accounted for over 10 million doctor visits in the U.S. alone and are one of the most common reasons for absences from work and school.
Medications from the general practitioner offer temporary pain relief, but do nothing to correct the cause. Chiropractic care, however, is more geared towards correcting the underlying causes behind many types of headaches. This article will define the five basic types of headaches - tension, toxic, sinus, cluster and migraine so you can get a better grasp on what type of headache you may be dealing with.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are by far the most common type of headache. Approximately 80 percent of our population suffers from occasional tension headaches, about 5 percent suffer from daily tension headaches. Women are twice as likely to suffer from tension headaches as men.
Tension headaches can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. The most common symptoms associated with this type of headache are band-like pain, pressure or throbbing of the head. The severity can increase significantly with headache frequency. Tension headaches usually have multiple causes, including emotional stress; depression; inadequate rest; poor posture; and / or chiropractic subluxation, causing pressure on nerves. More often than not, this type of headache usually occurs as the result of a combination of the fore mentioned causes.
Toxic Headaches
Toxic headaches are the least recognized type of headache in the medical community. That being said, this type of headache is easily identified when directly associated with exposure to a toxin.
Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are common and occur around the forehead, cheekbones, eye orbits, and the base of the nose. Drugs rarely correct the causes of sinus headaches, and commonly leave the patient with chronic sinus problems.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are usually one-sided and are considered to be one the most intense types of headaches. Fortunately, however, they are uncommon and affect less than one in 1,000 people. They typically start before age 30 and occur in time frames that vary from two weeks to three months. The headaches tend to occur one to three times a day and last for 30-90 minutes. They usually wake the patient one to two hours after going to bed.
After the cluster period, the occurrence of these headaches may cease for months or years, only to recur at a later date. These attacks appear to be linked to the circadian rhythms associated with the pineal gland and hypothalamus, which regulate the sleep and wake cycles. These headaches are also associated with seasonal changes in spring or fall.
Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches are a vascular-type headache that is associated with changes in the size of the arteries inside and outside the brain. It is estimated that 28 million Americans suffer from migraines, and an estimated 13 million have not yet been diagnosed. More women than men get migraines. Of those diagnosed, 25 percent suffer four or more attacks a month; 35 percent suffer 1-4 attacks a month; and the remaining 40 percent suffer one or less attacks a month. It is common for migraines last four hours to three days.
Four out of five migraine sufferers have a family history of migraines. Children have a 50 percent chance of having migraines if one parent has migraines, and a 75 percent chance of having migraines if both parents have them.
There are many potential migraine triggers that include stress; chemicals; caffeine; weather conditions; hormonal cycles; fatigue; poor sleep patterns; and meal-skipping. Symptoms may include an aura which can be described as a; sensitivity to light, noise or odors; nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and stomach upset or abdominal pain. Children having migraines also may look pale and experience dizziness, blurred vision and/or fever or stomach upset.
Writers Bio
Dr. Steven R. Jones is a licensed Chiropractor in the state of California. He received his doctorate from Palmer College of Chiropractic-West in Sunnyvale, California. Dr. Jones has treated his patients for over 15 years at his own San Diego Chiropractic practice.
Dr. Jones is accepting new patients and would be happy to consult with you regarding your chiropractic needs. www.JonesPainRelief.com
Call Steve Jones at his San Diego Chiropractic Clinic
(619) 280 0554
www.jonespainrelief.com
Visit our Adjustable Economical Mouse Platform website to learn more about or Buy Ergo Nav
Visit my San Diego Chiropractic Website to make an appointment
Read More Articles on Chiropractic, Nutrition, Preventative Health, Back pain, Neck Pain and more
No comments:
Post a Comment