There are many causes for headaches, as well as 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 respond very favorably to spinal manipulation, those that

do not warrant further diagnostic tests and investigation.

Headaches are a very common condition seen in a Chiropractic office.

Most headaches are usually reduced or diminished following the first

treatment. Although, some headaches will cycle and require more frequent

care. However, when a headache does not respond to chiropractic care,

organic pathology must be suspected and ruled out.

The causes for headaches are numerous. Allergies, traumas, structural

deformities, chemical, foods, stress, vascular, hereditary, menstrual cycle,

vision, are only a few of the common causes of headaches.

All patients with headaches require a thorough workout to determine

the cause of the headache and the appropriate treatment. It’s essential

to determine the type of 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.

MIGRAINE

A migraine is a very painful type of headache. 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.

Migraines are 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)

Symptoms of a Migraine

Classic and common. The major difference between these 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.

Classic migraine – 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 migraines 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 migraines 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 sleepwake

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.

What Are Muscle-Contraction Headaches?

Tension headache is named not only for the role of stress in triggering the

pain, but also for the contraction of neck, face, and scalp muscles brought

on by stressful events. A tension headache is a severe, but temporary

form of muscle-contraction headache. The pain is mild to moderate and

feels like pressure is being applied to the head or neck.The headache

usually disappears after the period of stress is over. Ninety percent of all

headaches are classified as tension/muscle contraction headaches.

By contrast, chronic muscle-contraction headaches can last for weeks,

months, and sometimes years. The pain of these headaches is often

described as a tight band around the head or a feeling that the head and

neck are in a cast. “It feels like somebody is tightening a giant vise around

my head,” says one patient. The pain is steady, and is usually felt on both

sides of the head. Chronic muscle-contraction headaches can cause sore

scalps – even combing one’s hair can be painful.

Occasionally, muscle-contraction headaches will be accompanied by

nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision, but there is no pre-headache

syndrome as with migraine. Muscle-contraction headaches have not

been linked to hormones or foods, as has migraine, nor is there a strong

hereditary connection.

Research has shown that for many people, chronic muscle-contraction

headaches are caused by depression and anxiety. These people tend to

get their headaches in the early morning or evening when conflicts in the

office or home are anticipated.

Emotional factors are not the only triggers of muscle-contraction

headaches. Certain physical postures that tense head and neck muscles

– such as holding one’s chin down while reading – can lead to head and

neck pain. So can prolonged writing under poor light, or holding a phone

between the shoulder and ear, or even gum-chewing.

More serious problems that can cause muscle-contraction headaches

include degenerative arthritis of the neck and temporomandibular joint

dysfunction, or TMD. TMD is a disorder of the joint between the

temporal bone (above the ear) and the mandible or lower jaw bone. The

disorder results from poor bite and jaw clenching.

Treatment for muscle-contraction headache varies. Early initiation of

chiropractic care with physical medicine/physical therapy techniques can

dramatically reduce intensity and the duration of the headache.