headache

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There are many causes for headaches and a number of different types of headaches,

· Muscle Tension Headaches,

· Migraines,

· Stress Headaches,

· Cluster Headaches,

· Allergenic Headaches, and

· headaches caused by organic pathology, ( tumors).

Most headaches responder very favorably to spinal manipulation, those that do not warrant further diagnostic tests an investigation.

Headaches are a very common condition seen in Chiropractic office. Most headaches are usually reduced or diminished following the first treatment. Some will cycle requiring more frequent care. However, when a headache does not respond to chiropractic care, organic pathology most be suspected and ruled out.

The causes for headaches are numerous. Allergies, traumas, structural deformities, chemical, food, stress, vascular, hereditary, menstrual cycle, vision, or only a few of the common causes of headaches.

All patients with headaches require a thorough workout to determine the cause of the headache in the appropriate treatment. This may be as simple as spinal manipulation, or as complicated as dietary modification and hormonal therapies.

Headaches are treated in my office with a combination of Spinal manipulation and physical medicine modalities.

When indicated dietary modifications and lifestyle modifications will also be discussed.

The use of Acupuncture Meridian Therapy with H-Wave technology may also be employed.

Its essential to determine what type a headache and the most likely cause to initiate the proper type of therapy to break the cycle headache. Whether that be spinal manipulation or hormonal replacement therapy.

The following is to give a better understanding of the more common types of headaches:

Migraine

A migraine is a very painful type of headaches. People who get migraines often describe the pain as pulsing or throbbing in one area of the head. During migraines, people are very sensitive to light and sound. They may also become nauseated and vomit.

Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.

Many things can trigger a migraine. These include

· Anxiety

· Stress

· Lack of food or sleep

· Exposure to light

· Hormonal changes (in women)

Doctors used to believe migraines were linked to the opening and narrowing of blood vessels in the head. Now they believe the cause is related to genes that control the activity of some brain cells.

Symptoms of migraine.

classic and common.

The major difference between the two types is the appearance of neurological symptoms 10 to 30 minutes before a classic migraine attack. These symptoms are called an aura. The person may see flashing lights or zigzag lines, or may temporarily lose vision. Other classic symptoms include speech difficulty, weakness of an arm or leg, tingling of the face or hands, and confusion.

The pain of a classic migraine headache may be described as intense, throbbing, or pounding and is felt in the forehead, temple, ear, jaw, or around the eye. Classic migraine starts on one side of the head but may eventually spread to the other side. An attack lasts 1 to 2 pain-wracked days.

Common migraine - a term that reflects the disorder's greater occurrence in the general population - is not preceded by an aura. But some people experience a variety of vague symptoms beforehand, including mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, and unusual retention of fluids.

During the headache phase of a common migraine, a person may have diarrhea and increased urination, as well as nausea and vomiting. Common migraine pain can last 3 or 4 days.

Both classic and common migraine can strike as often as several times a week, or as rarely as once every few years. Both types can occur at any time.

Some people, however, experience migraines at predictable times - for example, near the days of menstruation or every Saturday morning after a stressful week of work.

The migraine process.

Research scientists are unclear about the precise cause of migraine headaches. There seems to be general agreement, however, that a key element is blood flow changes in the brain. People who get migraine headaches appear to have blood vessels that overreact to various triggers.

Scientists have devised one theory of migraine which explains these blood flow changes and also certain biochemical changes that may be involved in the headache process. According to this theory, the nervous system responds to a trigger such as stress by causing a spasm of the nerve-rich arteries at the base of the brain. The spasm closes down or constricts several arteries supplying blood to the brain, including the scalp artery and the carotid or neck arteries.

As these arteries constrict, the flow of blood to the brain is reduced. At the same time, blood-clotting particles called platelets clump together-a process which is believed to release a chemical called serotonin. Serotonin acts as a powerful constrictor of arteries, further reducing the blood supply to the brain.

Reduced blood flow decreases the brain's supply of oxygen. Symptoms signaling a headache, such as distorted vision or speech, may then result, similar to symptoms of stroke.

Reacting to the reduced oxygen supply, certain arteries within the brain open wider to meet the brain's energy needs. This widening or dilation spreads, finally affecting the neck and scalp arteries. The dilation of these arteries triggers the release of pain-producing substances called prostaglandins from various tissues and blood cells. Chemicals which cause inflammation and swelling, and substances which increase sensitivity to pain, are also released. The circulation of these chemicals and the dilation of the scalp arteries stimulate the pain-sensitive nociceptors. The result, according to this theory: a throbbing pain in the head

Cluster headaches.

Cluster headaches are a rare form of headache notable for their extreme pain and their pattern of occurring in "clusters", usually at the same time(s) of the day for several weeks. A cluster headache usually begins suddenly with excruciating pain on one side of the head, often behind or around one eye. In some individuals, it may be preceded by a migraine-like "aura." The pain usually peaks over the next 5 to 10 minutes, and then continues at that intensity for up to an hour or two before going away.

People with cluster headaches describe the pain as piercing and unbearable. The nose and the eye on the affected side of the face may also get red, swollen, and runny, and some people will experience nausea, restlessness and agitation, or sensitivities to light, sound, or smell. Most affected individuals have one to three cluster headaches a day and two cluster periods a year, separated by periods of freedom from symptoms.

A small group of people develop a chronic form of the disorder, characterized by bouts of cluster headaches that can go on for years with only brief periods (2 weeks or less) of remission.

Cluster headaches generally begin between the ages of 20 and 50, although the syndrome can also start in childhood or late in life.

Males are much more likely than females to develop cluster headaches.

Alcohol (especially red wine) provokes attacks in more than half of those with cluster headaches, but has no effect once the cluster period ends.

Cluster headaches are also strongly associated with cigarette smoking.

Scientists aren't sure what causes the disorder. The tendency of cluster headaches to occur during the same time(s) from day to day, and more often at night than during the daylight hours, suggests they could be caused by irregularities in the body’s circadian rhythms, which are controlled by the brain and a family of hormones that regulate the sleep-

wake cycle.

Early Chiropractic treatment is essential. If chiropractic care is instituted in the earlier stages the response is more dramatic. In the latter stages the response is more protracted. Usually patients with recurring headaches have a period before the onset of a headache, they know they’re about to have a headache, that is when care should be initiated to try to avoid a headache rather than treat the headache.

Painful pressure .

Chronic high blood pressure can cause headache, as can rapid rises in blood pressure like those experienced during anger, vigorous exercise, or sexual excitement.

The severe "orgasmic headache" occurs right before orgasm and is believed to be a vascular headache. Since sudden rupture of a cerebral blood vessel can occur, this type of headache should be evaluated and to make require medical/neurological intervention by A Medical Doctor.

Headaches Migraine, Muscle Tension, Stress, Cluster