Spinal Manipulation Therapy Treats Headaches

Studies show that nine out of ten Americans occasionally experience headaches. The pain can be debilitating, dull, or frequent. While painkillers can effectively ease the pain, research shows that chiropractic treatments can also be quite effective at treating headaches.

A study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that chiropractic care treatments like spinal manipulation can improve cervicogenic headaches and migraines. Knowing the type of headache you have is the first step to identifying a suitable treatment to relieve your pain. Dr. Keefe at Shenandoah Chiropractic in Harrisonburg provides a range of chiropractic treatments to treat our patients suffering from headaches.

Headache Triggers

There are many causes of headaches including environmental stimuli and lifestyle factors. Headaches can be broken into two different types:

• Primary headaches: This kind is caused by overactivity and is often not a symptom of an underlying disease. The chemical activity in the brain, blood vessels, or nerves surrounding the skull can cause a primary headache. The headache can be in the form of a migraine, tension headache, or a cluster headache.
• Secondary Headaches: This kind is often a symptom of an underlying disease that activates the pain-sensitive nerves in the head. Possible causes include blood clots, acute sinusitis, brain tumors, concussions, and more.

Treatment for Headaches

Spinal manipulations are ideal for people that have cervicogenic headaches (secondary headaches) often caused by neck injuries, severe high blood pressure, or infections. The pain begins in the neck or at the back of the head and spreads to the front of the head. It is often accompanied by neck pain, stiffness, and a reduced range of motion.

Since it is a secondary headache, our chiropractor will perform manual examinations of the vertebral segments to identify the primary cause of the headache. Spinal manipulation helps ease the pain by adjusting the neck and back joints. Our chiropractor uses his hands or a device to apply a controlled force to the specific joints in the spine to relieve your pain. The cervical spine is the region of focus during the spinal manipulation therapy. You may hear a few popping sounds when the chiropractor is applying this force.

Get Spinal Manipulation in Harrison, VA

If you have been experiencing headaches due to a neck or spine injury, visit Shenandoah Chiropractic in Harrisonburg. Dr. Keefe will perform a thorough examination and create a treatment plan that is designed to reduce or eliminate your headaches. Call us today at (540) 564-6735 to schedule a consultation.