Headaches

New onset of headaches in a person who has never had them before can be serious, and should always be investigated by a chiropractor or other doctor.  Most headaches, however, turn out not to be caused by life-threatening conditions. Some of the most common types of headaches are:

Migraine Headaches

Migraines are a very specific type of headache. Some people will say "I have a migraine," when in fact they only mean that they have a very severe headache. Most people with migraines have family members who also have migraines, since there is a hereditary component. 

There are many categories of migraines, but they are all what is considered a vascular headache. This is caused by the blood vessels inside the brain contracting when they are engorged or full of blood.

• Classical migraines consist of an aura, meaning visual halos or sparkles, developing into a severe headache accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting, and a sense that light is too bright and sounds are too loud. The headache is usually behind one eye. There are variants of migraine headaches, but they usually have some component involving visual changes and/or nausea.

First Aid for Migraines:

• One of the best ways to abort a migraine is called contrast therapy.  This technique exploits the fact that the arteries carrying blood to the brain are closest to the surface at the base of the skull, and veins draining blood from the brain are closest to the surface in the face.  This usually works best if you begin it during the aura or within the first few minutes of the headache.
• To apply contrast therapy, prepare a gel ice pack or a bag of frozen peas by wrapping it in a cloth
• Prepare a hot compress by microwaving a wet towel for 1 minute. The towel should be wet but not dripping. Wrap the wet towel in a dry towel.
• Lie down on your back with the base of your skull resting on the ice pack. The ice pack should be right at your hairline.
• Place the hot compress on your forehead.
• Spend up to 20 minutes on this therapy, refreshing hot compress as needed. 
• If the migraine has not fully resolved, you can repeat it indefinitely with a 10-minute break between cycles.
• Be sure to wear sunglasses if the sun is bright outside, as bright light can tip you right back into migraine status!

Migraine Prevention:

• Migraines are caused by spasm of the blood vessels of the brain. 
• Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, krill, flax, and wild game, help reduce the tendency of blood vessels to spasm.  A good quality supplement of fish or krill oil is the best way to get your Omega-3 fatty acid intake up.
• Research has shown that supplementing magnesium in the diet is another way to avoid migraines.
• Keeping your intake of caffeine stable is critical. If you use caffeine, you must use the same amount at approximately the same time every day, or you risk withdrawal.

Tension Headaches

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  Tension headaches, also known as muscle contraction headaches, may come from the muscles at the base of the skull, the muscles of the jaw, or the muscles of the neck. Some tension headaches are not really muscle tension headaches at all, but rather, pain referred from the joints of the neck and accompanied by muscle tension. These are known as "cervicogenic headaches".

Withdrawal headaches:

Withdrawal headaches can be caused by withdrawal from almost any drug, but the most common culprit is caffeine.  A person who drinks three cups of coffee every day, and then one day only has two cups, may get a withdrawal headache. These headaches often happen on waking up on weekend mornings, when people tend to sleep late and miss their regular 6 am cup of coffee or tea.  Here in the South, where sweet tea is often the beverage of choice, it is easy to accidentally vary your dose of caffeine widely without realizing it! 

 

Analgesic Rebound Headaches:

Over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen, or Naprosyn can get rid of a headache when it occurs. However, using these painkillers as infrequently as twice a week can cause a pattern of rebound headaches. As the painkiller is cleared from your system over the next day or two, pain sources in muscles, joints, and blood vessels become re-activated with a vengeance. This causes a vicious cycle of pill-popping and rebound headaches which can require a couple of days of will power to break.

Chiropractic adjustments, heat and electrical modalities, massage therapy, acupuncture, and sometimes special pillows and braces can address these headache sources and allow you to be headache-free.

Sinus Headaches:

The sinuses are air-filled pockets or bubbles within the bones of your skull. They communicate with the nasal passages via small openings. When there is swelling or misalignment of these openings, they can become blocked. This traps mucus, fluid, and air inside the sinuses and, if pressure builds up, this can be quite painful.

Chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture can align the bones of the skull, relax the muscles of the soft palate and throat, and reduce swelling around the openings so that the sinuses can drain normally.

First aid for sinus headaches: The most immediate temporarily relief for a sinus headache is to take a wet washcloth and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds. LET IT COOL UNTIL YOU CAN COMFORTABLY TOLERATE IT ON YOUR SKIN!  Then, fold it in half and lay it over your nose, mouth and eyes while you lie on your back and breathe the steam through your nose.

For daily prevention and treatment of sinus problems without drugs, Whole Health Clinic sells and recommends the NeilMed Sinus Rinse Kit. Used once or twice daily (usually when you brush your teeth), it rinses away allergens, chemicals, and pollutants that can irritate the nasal passages and cause swelling and keeps the normal flow of mucus moving.