One of the most common complaints that we treat at The Joint in Salt Lake City is the headache. I can't tell you how many times during the day that someone comes into our office clutching either the front or the back of their head and begging for some relief. Usually they are not in a very good mood (understandably) and just hoping for any relief from the unrelenting pain and pressure of their headache. I am happy to report that most of these patients typically get great results from our chiropractic treatment. There are several different types of headaches (migraines, cervicogenic, cluster, tension, etc.) and each one has a different cause and responds differently to chiropractic care. Probably the most common headache we see in our offices are the cervicogenic headaches.
Cervicogenic headaches (meaning: originating in the neck) are becoming more and more common in our society for a number of reasons. Some of those reasons include the fact that more and more people are sitting at computers every day, ALL DAY LONG, which puts a tremendous amount of strain on the muscles of the neck. The typical "computer posture" is a slumped low back and a head that is carried out in front of one’s body as you peer down into the computer screen. In this posture, the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back all have a constant stretch on them. With that constant stretch, inflammation is created at the base of the skull, where these muscles attach. That inflammation swells and puts pressure on the nerves that exit the spinal canal between the skull and the top bone of your spine. Pressure on these nerves create pain where these nerves go: the back of the head. Following the adjustment the muscles begin to relax, and steadily over time the body gets rid of the inflammation. The pressure on the nerves is relieved, leading to the headache going away.
Some of these headaches are created by the top bones of the spine being misaligned and putting pressure on those nerves themselves. These are the headaches that begin to disappear immediately following the chiropractic adjustment.
Unfortunately, these headaches are being seen in patients who are younger and younger. This can be traced back to increased time at the computer or the gaming console in poor posture. Also, the more time that teens spend texting and playing on their phones (with their heads bent forward looking downward) just increases the strain on their still developing neck muscles.
Of course, there are other causes of these headaches, like lack of sleep/rest, stress, diet, etc. But, one of the most common causes is the misalignment of the spinal joints. It's safe to say that these headaches are going to continue because computers, game consoles, cell phones and devices that are meant to make our lives easier and more enjoyable are going to continue to grow in popularity and use. If you are experiencing any of these headaches, come into The Joint in Salt Lake City for a chiropractic adjustment and see if we can help your headaches by realigning the spinal joints and taking pressure off of the nerves.
- Dr. Michael Hill
- Dr. Michael Hill
