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Chiropractic and Headaches

Woman experiencing a headache at work

Chiropractic Care May Help Your Headache Pain

Headaches are often dismissed as minor ailments that can be easily cured simply by popping a few over-the-counter pain relievers. Although pain medication may be helpful for occasional headaches, it's not always effective for chronic headache pain. Pain relievers can also cause liver or kidney damage and other serious side effects if you take too many of them. Fortunately, chiropractic care offers a drug-free treatment option.

What Kind of Headache Do You Have?

Chiropractors often treat patients who have these types of headaches:

  • Tension Headaches: Tension headaches occur when the muscles in your neck and head contract and become too tight. You may feel tightness and pain in your forehead only, or the pain may wrap around to the back your head and your neck. The headaches can be caused by stress, poor posture, or even looking down at your cellphone for hours.
  • Migraine Headaches: Migraine, the sixth most disabling illness in the world, affects 18 percent of women, 6 percent of men and 10 percent of children in the U.S., according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Pain, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, in addition to other unpleasant symptoms, can affect the quality of your life and make it difficult to work or care for your family.
  • Cluster Headaches: These extremely painful headaches typically occur on one side of the head and last 10 minutes to several hours. They're called "cluster" headaches because sufferers usually get multiple headaches in one day. The headaches can disappear for months at a time and may reappear at the same times every year.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Headaches?

Treatment options depend on the type of headache you have, but may include:

  • Spinal Manipulation: Manipulation relieves pressure on your joints, realigns your spine, improves blood flow, and helps relax tight muscles. Your chiropractor uses his or her hands or an activator to apply quick, forceful pressure to the vertebrae. Spinal manipulation is particularly helpful if nerve irritation triggers your migraines or cluster headaches. Manipulation relieves pressure on your nerves, easing your pain and reducing the frequency of your headaches.
  • Spinal Mobilization: Spinal mobilization involves gentle, hands-on pressure that stretches your spine, improves joint function, and helps ease tension in the muscles between the vertebrae. Since tense muscles can be an issue no matter what type of headache you experience, mobilization can be very effective.
  • Massage: Massage is often included in treatment plans for headaches. The therapy loosens tight muscles, improves range of motion, increases blood flow, and may help reduce the frequency of your headaches. Regular massages also reduce stress, which can be a factor if you get tension headaches.
  • Flexion-Distraction Therapy: This therapy is performed on a segmented table that moves or drops as your chiropractor gently manipulates your vertebrae. Flexion-distraction therapy reduces stiffness, improves range of motion in your back and neck, and may even help decrease the number of headaches you get every month.

Your treatment plan might include a few other types of therapy, including ice and heat therapy, ultrasound treatment, or electrotherapy. Improving your posture and strengthening the muscles that support your head and neck may also be helpful. Your chiropractor can recommend exercises, make suggestions that will help you improve your posture, and provide advice about a healthy diet.

Is Chiropractic Treatment Effective?

In a case series published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine, researchers discussed the case of a 31-year-old patient whose migraines become chronic after two pregnancies. After chiropractic treatment, she experienced fewer migraines. During the 10th month, she reported no headaches during the entire month.

Another case study published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care examined the case of a 44-year old woman who suffered from daily headaches that didn't respond to pain medication. During her treatment, spinal manipulation, ultrasound, and other therapies were used. After three months of treatment, her headache pain began to subside. The pain was completely eliminated by six months.

Are you tired of living with headache or migraine pain? We can help you control your symptoms naturally. Contact us to schedule an appointment.

Sources:

American Chiropractic Association: Headaches and Chiropractic

https://www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Headaches-and-Chiropractic

NCBI: Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care: Long-Term Relief from Tension-Type Headache and Major Depression Following Chiropractic Treatment, May/June 2018

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6069670/

Global Advances in Health and Medicine: Integrating Chiropractic Care into the Treatment of Migraine Headaches in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Case Series, 3/28/19

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2164956119835778

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  • "Absolutely love Dr. Skocik and his staff!!! I treated with this practice for several years after a really bad fall, thanks to the wonderful chiropractic care and massage therapy I am pain free and have my mobility back!! Highly recommend Dr. Skocik!!!"
    Teresa S.
  • "Wonderful staff. Makes you feel like it's home. Dr. Skocik is a wonderful gentleman. Just wants to help you so you can be better. Goes up and beyond."
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  • "My experience With Dr. Skocik has been exceptional. The staff provides excellent services and care. I always feel better after my treatment! Looking forward to a full recovery!"
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  • "Great Doctor! Amazing Staff! The first time I went to skocik chiropractor I was in a lot of pain but after just a few months I feel so much better."
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  • "Helped me with a damaged disk.very knowledgeable and a great way to go to handle pain in a natural way."
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  • "The best Chiropractor in town."
    Bryan D.
  • "Good experience. Explains things patiently. Friendly Staff"
    Amit K.
  • "The staff is all great and Dr. Skocik is one of the best and nicest chiropractors."
    Matthew G.
  • "Dr. Skocik did a wonderful job helping me get back to normal. He explained things in detail. A very pleasant and courteous atmosphere. I found my go to chiropractor!!"
    Diane L.
  • "Dr Sk is thorough in his exams and explanations of recommended treatment and process. The staff are courteous, friendly and professional. I have seen improvement in my range of motion, mobility and reduction of pain in back and spine."
    Arlis V.
  • "I love this place. I have been going through a rough time, injuries, employment, school, death in the family, and stress. Dr. Skocik and his staff are a blessing. They have been there to help me not only with my injuries but with my life in general. No matter how much pain and misery I may be going through, I always leave feeling better and with a smile on my face. I think the entire staff is awsome."
    Melissa J.
  • "Quote from the movie The best exotic marigold hotel- β€œMost things don’t work out as expected, but what happens instead often turns out to be the good stuff.” - reminded me of you all. Thank you for helping me through my rough and frustrating healing process !!"
    Shirly P.
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    William G.
  • "Thank you to the entire team, Dr. Skocik, Kourtnay, Shannon, Nicole, and Daphne for taking great care of me. From not being able to walk to using a cane to now...you are a god-send! Highly recommended!!!!!"
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    Kim D.
  • "Great Doctor! Amazing Staff! The first time I went to skocik chiropractor I was in a lot of pain but after just a few months I feel so much better."
    Waslat W.
  • "In addition to the standard chiropractic services, Skocik also offers massage. The massage therapist is awesome, the prices are fantastic and I have never left anything but totally satisfied. You do give up a tiny bit of ambiance compared to a "spa", but what you get is more than worth it in my opinion. Highly recommended."
    Tiffany I.
  • "I appreciate Dr Skocik calling me at home to inquire about my recovery!
    Try stem cell & PRP therapy. It's worth it if it means having your life back without surgery!"
    Regenerative Medicine Patient O. Olagbemi
  • "I have been coming to this office for years and I would refer anyone to come to this office I never have had a bad experience."
    J. Weldon
  • "I like the combination of services they have.
    Adjustments, Maintenance, Physical Therapy options, massage and laser therapy.
    Not many places have that."
    A. Schultz
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    T. Mahone
  • "Great Chiropactor , great staff, they are passionate about what they do and it shines through. I would highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic ! πŸ‘"
    T. Romberger
  • "Dr Skocik treats his patients like family, great rehab equipment, phenomenal staff and amazing massage therapists!!!"
    T. Warner
  • "I go here for massages, best you'll find in the area, and very good prices. The large office that has a wide range of chiropractic treatment equipment, and is a complete back treatment and rehab facility."
  • "This office is highly professional and organized! Great chiro service and I highly recommend!"
    J. LeCadre
  • "Simply the best! Period."
    J. Williams
  • "Dr. Skocik office treats you like family, wonderful staff and I will recommend anyone to his office.πŸ‘ πŸ‘ πŸ‘"
    K. Trollinger
  • "Amazing first impression and excellent, thorough exam for diagnosis. Physical therapy feels great."
    C. Campbell
  • "This office is organized and very professional, great chiro care! Would definitely recommend this office!"
    C. Myers
  • "I've been seeing Dr. Skocik for many years. Very professional office, he and his staff take great care of me. I recommend them often."
    T. Mowatt
  • "Absolutely love Dr. Skocik and his staff!!! I treated with this practice for several years after a really bad fall, thanks to the wonderful chiropractic care and massage therapy I am pain free and have my mobility back!! Highly recommend Dr. Skocik!!!"
    T. Coffman
  • "Coming from Toronto and seized up shoulder. Dr went way out of his way on a Saturday to open the clinic for me to assess. Very professional and kind. Wonderful."
    A.C.
  • "Doctor Skocik is really sincere about helping people"
    J. Peiffer
  • "What I love about my experience. I was able to be seen with in a 24 hours window..For those who suffer from lower back pain will truly understand how important that is. For that alone i give you five stars .. Excellent staff"
    F. Jackson
  • "I love coming here. The staff is very Friendly! I have had all kinds of issues with my back and ever since I started coming here i have made lots of improvement. I highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic!"
    Jessica C.
  • "The level of care, from the chiropractic services, to the massage therapy..to the office staff...EVERYONE treats you like family. I can honestly say that their is a genuine concern for your progress and well being.
    I would highly recommend."
    Craig W.
  • "I have always had a good experience with them and I have been a patient for a number of years. They are very nice about rescheduling appointments. The staff is always very friendly and I have always found them reasonably priced."
    L. Henninger
  • "I had a great experience in Skocik Chiropractic and they are very professional and fixed my lower back pain problem. My whole family goes to this practice and we highly recommend to other people."
    F. Zhang
  • "Skocik Chiropractic was very personable and informative. Dr. Skocik and his staff purposefully takes care of their patients with attentiveness and professionalism. I enjoyed my time there and highly recommend Skocik Chiropractic."
    B. Wanda

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