Headaches. We all get them from time to time. Sometimes they’re short-lived, the kind of thing you can sleep off. In other cases, they can be an ongoing issue, and each individual headache may have many different causes. This can make it hard to know how to stop headaches from occurring, and when you might want to get help from a chiropractor.
What Causes Headaches?
Headaches are a general symptom. This means they can have any number of causes, including the following:
- Stress: High stress and anxiety can cause a fight or flight response, flooding your body with all kinds of chemicals. While this can help you run away from a tiger, it doesn’t make you more effective sitting at your desk. Under those conditions, stress, especially when present for extended periods of time, can cause pain, and this often presents as headaches.
- Posture: Sitting and looking at a computer screen all day is terrible for you. It puts stress on your neck and upper back, and this stress often results in headaches.
- Trauma: Concussions can cause significant and long-lasting headaches. Other types of injuries can also have lasting repercussions. If you’ve experienced a head trauma from an auto accident or work related injury, you should talk to your provider if you’re experiencing lingering headaches. Some trauma situations require emergency care.
- Lack of sleep: Many types of fatigue can result in headaches.
- Changes in vision: A change in vision could mean that you spend more time squinting, stressing your eyes. This can cause headaches.
- Dehydration: If you start getting a headache, it’s not a bad idea to drink a glass of water and see if that helps. Dehydration often causes headaches, and when you’re busy sometimes you just forget to stay hydrated!
- Caffeine: Either too much or too little caffeine can cause terrible headaches!
How to Stop Headaches at Home
If your headache has already begun and you’ve started to really notice the pain, there are a few ways you can minimize your discomfort:
- A cold pack: If you have a particularly severe headache, a cold pack can help reduce the pain.
- Hot compress: For tension headaches, a cold pack is often ineffective. Instead, try using a warm cloth or other heat source. For sinus headaches, do the same thing, but move the heating pad to the source of your discomfort.
- Over-the-counter pain medication: Over-the-counter pain medications are usually effective in relieving headaches. If you’re trying to shake the occasional headache, this is effective and generally safe. However, it’s important not to use these medications as a long term solution as some can have negative effects on your health with extended use. Also, you could be masking the symptoms of a much larger problem. Headaches are your body’s way of saying that something’s wrong, and you should not ignore the message!
Can You Prevent Headaches?
There are ways you can prevent headaches but it depends on the type of headache. The following are sometimes effective:
- Avoid external tension: Wearing baseball caps that are too small or wearing your ponytail too tightly can cause external tension and result in pain. Try to avoid these..
- Stay hydrated: Because dehydration is a very common cause of headaches, you can try setting reminders for yourself. That way you’ll have a better chance of drinking enough water every day and preventing a headache in the first place.
- Be aware of your caffeine intake: Small amounts of caffeine can actually help your headache go away. But because too much or too little caffeine can easily cause headaches, it’s a good idea to keep your caffeine intake pretty steady every day.
- Avoid eye strain: These days, there are lots of ways to strain your eyes. The most common is to stare at a computer screen all day. Try using blue light filters to minimize eye strain.
When Should You See a Chiropractor for Headaches?
Chronic headaches are usually a sign that there’s something wrong somewhere in your body. If you have one headache every once in a while, it’s probably not something you need to worry about. But chronic headaches can be a sign of a bigger problem. In these cases, seeing a chiropractor can help you get the source of the problem and find relief.
These are some instances in which a chiropractor can treat your headaches:
- You have recently been in an auto or work related accident: If your headache develops following an auto accident injury or workplace injury, we may be able to help. This is especially true for upper back and neck injuries, which are often associated with headaches. Your chiropractor will have several treatment options that can help. These include adjustments, therapy modalities like heat and muscle stimulation and lifestyle recommendations.
- You also have neck and shoulder pain: If your headaches are accompanied by neck or shoulder pain, your chiropractor may be able to relieve all three. In these cases, it’s likely that your neck or upper back vertebrae are injured or not moving properly.
- You experience migraine headaches: Migraines are a particularly severe form of headache. For some migraine sufferers, chiropractic care can provide significant and lasting relief.
This list is not exhaustive, and every patient is different. If you have any questions, contact us to talk to a chiropractor about your care.
How Long Should I Wait Before I See a Chiropractor?
Everyone’s threshold for pain and discomfort will be different. This is especially true when it comes to headaches, which are exceptionally common. However, it’s important to see a chiropractor as soon as you can. The sooner your treatment starts, the faster you’ll be able to stop taking OTC pain remedies.
Headaches can be severe, chronic, and debilitating. But just because they’re common doesn’t mean you have to live with them. Chiropractic care for headaches can help you find relief and get back to doing the things you enjoy.
If you have more questions about how to stop headaches, either at home or with a chiropractor, contact our office to schedule an appointment.
