Chiropractor for Headache in St. Louis

Headaches Treatment

Can a chiropractor help with headaches?

Headaches are frustrating to deal with and often challenging to find the correct treatment. When experiencing a headache, sufferers may additionally feel neck pain, loss of focus, or even nausea. Many types of headaches can be successfully treated or managed using chiropractic care. The combination of myofascial release and spinal manipulation provides a synergistic effect that alleviates tension and discomfort. Additional therapies, such as acupuncture, encourage healing and relaxation, both necessary for managing headaches.

Can a pinched nerve cause headache?

Pinched nerves can lead to headaches by causing tension and discomfort in the neck and head regions. This occurs when a nerve in the neck is compressed or irritated, often due to poor posture, herniated discs, or arthritis. The resulting pain can radiate to the head, leading to tension-type headaches or even migraines. Effective management includes addressing the underlying cause of the nerve compression using a range of chiropractic therapies.

Should I be concerned about these headaches?

Although most headaches are not life-threatening, there are some red flags to be aware of. If you are experiencing a new and incredibly abrupt or severe headache, you should seek medical attention immediately. Additional red flags are chronic headaches that are worse with exertion or straining—neurological symptoms such as numbing or weakness in the face or double vision. Finally, a headache with fever or a new headache if over the age of 50 warrants medical attention.

Chiropractor for tension headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches, typically characterized as tightness around the head. Tension primarily resides in the back of the head near the base of the skull. When the tension radiates to the sides and front of the head, it can feel like a tight band around the head. Tension headache pain is often referred to as being dull and achy. A hallmark sign of tension headaches is that the pain is usually on both sides of the head and neck. A final component of these headaches is that they cause tight and tender muscles (trigger points) in the neck and shoulder blades.

Tension headache chiropractic treatment

Stress is a significant contributor to tension headaches, making stress management strategies beneficial. Stress management can include journaling, breathing techniques, meditation, therapy, quality sleep, or increasing enjoyable and meaningful life activities. Chiropractor therapies that help alleviate neck and head tension are also beneficial. Myofascial release and chiropractic adjustments are the more popular techniques. However, some people have found acupuncture to be helpful as well.

Migraine headache chiropractor

Migraines are notorious for being extremely painful, causing nausea and vomiting in some cases. These are usually pulsating or throbbing on one side of the head. They typically start to occur during childhood or early adulthood and are recurring. Sometimes there are stages; however, not everyone experiences the following. The first stage can sometimes be mood changes, food cravings, changes with bowel or urination, and a stiff neck. The second stage can include visual changes such as blind spots, flashing lights, zig-zag lines, or tingling in the arms or legs. Finally, the migraine headache portion can last between 4-72 hours. Many times there is also a sensitivity to lights and or noise. The last stage, known as a migraine hangover, can consist of feeling tired, weak, and having difficulty concentrating.

Migraine headache chiropractic help

Many migraine sufferers have found relief through chiropractic and spinal adjustments. Because migraines are more involved than tension headaches, other strategies are also important. For example, being aware of triggers related to certain foods, alcohol, or stress, then eliminating those triggers. Some people find headache diaries useful for discovering triggers. Finally, medications can help with migraines, so discussing them with a medical doctor is valuable. 

Can chiropractors help cervicogenic headaches?

Cervicogenic headaches are definite referral headaches resulting from neck pain or a neck injury. They usually start as a neck injury with painful and limited movements. A significant difference between cervicogenic and tension headaches is that cervicogenic headaches are often one-sided headaches. 

Cervicogenic headache chiropractic treatment

Because cervicogenic headaches are secondary to neck pain, managing the neck injury is essential. Soft tissue therapies such as myofascial release and spine adjustments are excellent. Depending on the injury, sports rehab may be necessary.

Headache Chiropractor in Kirkwood, MO

Combination headaches

It's helpful to understand that there are sometimes overlaps between two headaches. For example, migraine headaches can become tension headaches. Also, each of the headaches mentioned has components of neck pain. This referral results from the head and neck sharing the same nervous system pathways. 

Top-rated headache treatment in St. Louis

Emboody Performance & Recovery offers a comprehensive approach to treating and managing headaches by integrating proven headache therapies. Since there is not one specific therapy that works for everyone, we combine the most successful therapies used for headache relief. Myofascial release is often used to reduce muscle tension and fascial restrictions. Acupuncture is used to facilitate relaxation and well-being. Spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments) are used to reset joint structures in the neck. Finally, our doctors will discuss home remedies that will be effective in reducing headache severity and frequency.