How do you know when it is time to see a chiropractor or if you need chiropractic care for the pain that you are experiencing? Perhaps one of the signs can be when your body pain, such as the back of the neck, is becoming persistent and does not go away for several days.

When you visit your chiropractor, among the most common treatments they may recommend is spinal manipulation. This chiropractic technique is usually the best solution to ease a tension headache or those pains in the neck area.

Headaches and Chiropractic Care

People who experience headaches a lot should immediately address this concern to avoid discomfort and prevent having limited movements. Headaches are often a result of many different factors such as those coming from the environment like stress, noises, lights, etc., or even food. It can also be caused by changes in the hormones or behavior such as over-exercise, blood sugar changes, or insomnia.

Around 5% of the headaches we experience are signs of a physical issue, while 95% are usually migraines, cluster headaches, or tension. These are called primary headaches, and they are related to the muscle tension that is felt in the neck. When we spend too much time staying in one position or doing sedentary activities, they happen when we spend too much time staying in one place.

To treat a headache or a pain in the back or neck and whether the pain is chronic or acute, it is best to see a chiropractor assess your condition. This way, these trained specialists will also suggest the best chiropractic care treatment for your concern.

Along with chiropractic care, you may also do some of these tips to avoid having frequent headaches. Try to have breaks in between and do some stretching, at least for around 30 minutes. When you do your stretches, make sure that your neck and head go through a comfortable range of motion. You may also try doing some low impact exercises and never forget to always keep yourself properly hydrated.

To relieve headaches, chiropractors usually do either a chiropractic adjustment or a spinal manipulation. They use these techniques to offer relief from the stress in your system and enhance spinal function. They would also usually advise on changing lifestyle and diet or sometimes make you add B complex vitamins to your daily routine. Chiropractors may also give recommendations on proper posture, relaxation techniques, appropriate exercises, and ergonomics.

Chiropractic Adjustment

Headaches resulting from muscle tension in the neck area or primary headaches that occur due to joint irritation may be treated by making chiropractic adjustments. This procedure should only be performed by licensed chiropractors. With this technique, they either use a small instrument or their hands to apply a certain level of force to the spinal joint. It is a method where a sudden but controlled power is exercised.

A chiropractic adjustment is made to ease the tension building in your head and bring back the balance to the structure and the spine. This procedure also relieves the pressure away from the essential areas of the range and offers relief for the pain within that region.

However, just remember that it is essential to talk to your doctor before having a chiropractor treatment for your migraines or headaches.

Other Gentle Techniques in Chiropractic Care

There are so many chiropractic treatments available to heal a headache, which is why it is best to see your chiropractor before these headaches get in the way even further. Neck manipulation or cervical manipulation is one of the solutions to find relief from a headache. This method involves adjusting the spinal column in the upper seven vertebrae and adjusting the cervical bone's position.

The cervical region is found in the spine's upper neck area, and to make neck adjustment, the chiropractor pulls on the neck very gently as they stretch the cervical spine at different angles between the extension and the flexion. This process intends to ease the muscle's tightness and involves finding the right angle where the patient is also comfortable.

Another method is cervical mobilization. For this procedure, the patient is made to lie on their back in a relaxed position as the chiropractor moves the neck's vertebra manually in a left to right and right to left movement. Then this is alternated to the side to side movement as well as figure 8 motion. These movements are performed at different degrees and in a non- thrusting type of stretching.

Cervical manual traction is another gentle form of chiropractic treatment that can relieve headaches. The process for this involves the patient either sitting or lying down face up or sometimes face down. Their neck is gently pulled, and the cervical spine is stretched at different angles between the extension and the flexion. This chiropractic technique is usually done in combination with cervical mobilization, or sometimes these two methods are either switched or done simultaneously.

Once you notice that your headaches are becoming persistent and are already interfering with your daily living, it might just be the time to visit your doctor to know if getting a chiropractic treatment would be the best way to treat your pain. And when you see your chiropractor, expect an assessment to ask a series of questions related to your health history. After a review of your condition and history, only then can a treatment be recommended and planned.

If you do not have a chiropractor yet, you can try to get a recommendation from your trusted sources such as a family member or a friend to be sure that you will be going to the right place.