Headaches
Are headaches controlling your life?
Are you feeling frustrated that no one understands the pain?
Are you finding it hard to focus and concentrate?
Living with headaches is tough on anyone. Day after day, you experience feelings of being miserable, irritable, and tired; the frustration of knowing that your friends and family don’t really realize what you are going through day after day. It can be hard to concentrate on even the easy tasks, let alone complete your day’s work and fulfill your family responsibilities without wondering when you will finally be able to go rest in a dark and quiet room.
Quick Headache Quiz
Take our 2 minute headache quiz to find out what kind of headaches you might have, and what can be done for relief.
Did you know that there’s no such thing as a “normal” headache? That’s right! Despite the normalization of headache pain, headaches are actually a symptom; it’s your body’s way of telling you that something is wrong. Headaches are a difficult health issue to walk around with, mostly because they’re an invisible problem. They don’t make noise like indigestion or show on your skin like eczema. Outsiders can’t tell that they are there, yet the symptoms that accompany headaches are often debilitating for sufferers. While headaches may be common it doesn’t mean that they are normal, rather there is a cause, if not multiple, for them.
According to Phil Page (2011), “Approximately 47% of the global population suffers from a headache and 15-20 percent of those headaches are cervicogenic (coming from the structures of the neck). Medical science has discovered that most headaches are caused by damaged structures around the neck like joints, ligaments, muscles, and cervical discs, all of which have complex nerve endings. Research has proven certain natural treatments have great success with headaches – even better than massage and medications – and with no side effects.” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201065/)
What All Headaches Have in Common
In recent years, health care professionals have discovered that all headaches have one thing in common – STRESS! The stress can be physical, chemical or emotional. Figuring out which stressors trigger your headaches is the key to living headache-free! If you looked into biochemical stressors that can trigger headaches you would be likely to find things like drinking a glass of red wine or eating a certain type of food could be one. That’s not surprising given that some foods and additives can cause headaches. Common examples are caffeine, artificial sweeteners, red wine, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Food sensitivities can also cause headaches. All of these mentioned are chemical stressors.
Have you ever noticed that you get a headache after a heated argument, confrontation or stressful day? These are all examples of emotional stressors and they, too, can contribute to headaches. But what about physical stressors? Do you get a headache after a long day in front of the computer? Poor sleep ergonomics, the wrong type of pillow and poor posture are all physical stressors that can contribute to headaches. Other common examples of physical stressors are car accidents, head injuries, falls, repetitive movements or sedentary lifestyles.
Other Headache Causes
Headaches can also often be caused by misalignment of the spine. Life stressors can cause the spine to go out of alignment. These misalignments are called vertebral subluxations and they can cause not only pain but also interference on the nervous system—making proper brain-body communication nearly impossible. Nearly all spinal problems are caused by some type of mechanical or structural stress; therefore, correcting these misalignments restores the body’s ability to function optimally.
For many, it can get even worse, especially if ignored. This can mean doctors’ visits, MRIs, CT scans and x-rays — which often come back with “normal” results. If that isn’t enough, it can lead to popping painkiller medication like it’s going out of style to at least take the edge off. Or, for some, trying various headache prescription medications with not much success, never getting to the root issue.
Are you wondering, “How do I get rid of headaches”? Imagine for a second being able to live life like a normal person again, pain-free and without headaches — being able to play with your kids, enjoy time with friends, and not have to worry that your headache will hit you at just the wrong time.
What All Headaches Have in Common
In recent years, health care professionals have discovered that all headaches have one thing in common – STRESS! The stress can be physical, chemical or emotional. Figuring out which stressors trigger your headaches is the key to living headache-free! If you looked into biochemical stressors that can trigger headaches you would be likely to find things like drinking a glass of red wine or eating a certain type of food could be one. That’s not surprising given that some foods and additives can cause headaches. Common examples are caffeine, artificial sweeteners, red wine, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Food sensitivities can also cause headaches. All of these mentioned are chemical stressors.
Have you ever noticed that you get a headache after a heated argument, confrontation or stressful day? These are all examples of emotional stressors and they, too, can contribute to headaches. But what about physical stressors? Do you get a headache after a long day in front of the computer? Poor sleep ergonomics, the wrong type of pillow and poor posture are all physical stressors that can contribute to headaches. Other common examples of physical stressors are car accidents, head injuries, falls, repetitive movements or sedentary lifestyles.
Other Headache Causes
Headaches can also often be caused by misalignment of the spine. Life stressors can cause the spine to go out of alignment. These misalignments are called vertebral subluxations and they can cause not only pain but also interference on the nervous system—making proper brain-body communication nearly impossible. Nearly all spinal problems are caused by some type of mechanical or structural stress; therefore, correcting these misalignments restores the body’s ability to function optimally.
For many, it can get even worse, especially if ignored. This can mean doctors’ visits, MRIs, CT scans and x-rays — which often come back with “normal” results. If that isn’t enough, it can lead to popping painkiller medication like it’s going out of style to at least take the edge off. Or, for some, trying various headache prescription medications with not much success, never getting to the root issue.
Are you wondering, “How do I get rid of headaches”? Imagine for a second being able to live life like a normal person again, pain-free and without headaches — being able to play with your kids, enjoy time with friends, and not have to worry that your headache will hit you at just the wrong time.
This doesn’t have to seem so far out of reach. If we know that misalgnments in your spine can cause headaches, we know the next step; Chiropractors are trained to detect and correct these misalignments and develop a care plan to address the root cause of your headaches. Chiropractic is a safe, effective, drug-free way to treat and get rid of headaches, putting you on track to the life you want.
Great news!
At Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre we have the technology and expertise to assess your spine and get to the root cause of your headaches. The clinic has been working with the Orléans community for 24+ years helping people regain control of their lives.
For Your Headache New Patient Evaluation
What does this Headache Evaluation include?
- An in-depth consultation where we will review the details of your present health status and work to detect the root cause.
- A full neuromusculoskeletal examination.
- State-of-the-Art technology to perform neuro-spinal scans to measure the efficiency of your nervous system and brain-body communication.
- If necessary, x-rays to determine the state of your spine in terms of degeneration and if specific spinal problems, such as subluxations in the neck, are contributing to your pain and symptoms.
- A thorough analysis and report of your exam and x-ray findings so we can begin planning your next steps to being pain-free and active again.
- An in-depth consultation where we will review the details of your present health status and work to detect the root cause.
- A full neuromusculoskeletal examination.
- State-of-the-Art technology to perform neuro-spinal scans to measure the efficiency of your nervous system and brain-body communication.
- If necessary, x-rays to determine the state of your spine in terms of degeneration and if specific spinal problems, such as subluxations in the neck, are contributing to your pain and symptoms.
- A thorough analysis and report of your exam and x-ray findings so we can begin planning your next steps to being pain-free and active again.
You can find us at 1-1224 Place d’Orleans Drive Ottawa, Ontario K1C 7K3