What causes your headaches? Headache triggers are detected by centers within the brain. These centers control many vital body processes: sleep/wake cycle, hunger, hormone and involuntary nervous system regulation. Chemical messengers are released in response to your personal triggers. These chemicals produce a number of body responses. The most significant to headache is the dramatic effect to the blood vessels in the head, face and neck and to the neuronal activity in the brain. These vascular changes appear to be instrumental in the altered brain activity of those with migraine type of headache. Depending on which vessels and areas of the head and brain are most affected, symptoms such as pain, nausea, visual and vestibular symptoms can occur.
A quick fix medication can be effective and certainly very welcoming when a bad headache may be brewing. However when frequently used, a phenomenon called ‘rebound headache’ can occur-prompting an even worse headache once the medication’s effects wear off. This can prompt and perpetuate a vicious cycle of increased intensity and frequency.
Chronic sinus problems, allergies, poor posture, neck problems, a lack of exercise, un-tempered stress, unhealthy diet, and a variety of trigger foods can all contribute to your threshold to headaches. The more triggers on is exposed to, the greater the headache.
Headaches are one of the most common complaints that bring a person to a healthcare provider. We offer many treatment options, including chiropractic adjustments which are very effective for tension headaches that originate in the neck, biofeedback therapy can reduce or eliminate the need for medications or may be an option when medications haven’t worked well, functional medicine helps determine any nutritional habits that may be contributing to your pain experience, as well as acupuncture which can provide drug-free relief with virtually no side-effects, to help prevent, reduce and stop headaches.
