The Pain of Headaches
If you’re reading this, then chances are that you might suffer from headaches. Headaches are among the most common conditions and there is up to 150 different causes!
So what are headaches?
As the name reads, headache is a general term to describe pain in the cranium and/or face. Headache symptoms range from a mild ‘annoying’ type feeling, to a ‘severe sharp’ sensation. However, headaches are just as unique as you are, especially with regards to location, intensity, and frequency of episodes.
How can we classify the different types of headaches?
Did you know that there are two types of general classifications of headaches? Primary and Secondary. So what's the difference?
Primary headaches refer to headaches with an underlying condition. Although the cause may be different, the general theme is that the inflammation created by the condition affects pain-sensitive parts such as nerves, blood vessels, and muscles in and around the head and neck. Lifestyle triggers such as stress, poor posture, and alcohol (particularly red wine) can activate primary headaches. Headaches such as cluster and tension-type (TTH) headaches are classified as primary.
Main types of Primary headaches:
Tension Type Headaches (TTH) - A common type of headache with noticeable symptoms around either the back of the skull, the temples and/or forehead. The distribution of symptoms will feel like a 'band' around the skull. TTH tend to last from hours to days and is more common amongst females.
Cluster Headaches - A cluster headache is a form of headache that creates a 'drilling' pain localised around one eye. Symptoms can radiate to the forehead, temple, and/or cheek. Five times more often in males than females.
Secondary headaches are headaches that present as a symptom of an underlying condition, and trigger the pain-sensitive areas in the head and neck.
Common underlying conditions can include:
Brain or brainstem tumour
Aneurysm
Meningitis
Neck or brain injury
Concussion
Post-alcohol consumption (hangover)
The most common secondary headache is a cervicogenic:
Cervicogenic headache - A headache caused by an initial physical or neurological condition affecting osseous (bone), disc, or soft tissue elements of the neck and head. It can commonly be caused by vertebral subluxation, whiplash, or poor neck ergonomics. The distribution of pain can vary based on the cause.
Why are we talking about headaches?
There are many benefits of Chiropractic to reduce headaches such as:
Potentially reduce irritation to tissues in the neck
Improve postural alignment
Stabilise pressure
Improve cervical range of motion.
How can posture such as slouching trigger headaches?
How are you sitting at the moment? Is your head leaned forward, are your shoulders rolled in? Well, these common poor biomechanics will mean that structures in the neck and mid back are overloaded and potentially damaged. When sitting it’s important to remember to keep your head upright, this will ensure that the correct pressure is distributed across the neck evenly and that conditions such as cervicogenic headaches are avoided.
We hope you enjoyed our blog about headaches
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