There are many causes of headaches and migraine and unravelling all the contributing factors can be a pain in itself.

Stress is a simple one to identify but not necessarily easy to overcome. The stress could be emotional or physical. But I bet posture will also be a contributing factor. When we get stressed we tend to raise our shoulders and overwork the muscles in our neck and shoulders.

Eye strain is another cause to consider. It is always worth consulting with an optician to check your eyes for the need for a prescription. If you have had your glasses for a while and you develop headaches you may need to update the prescription.

Poor posture is a major contributor. Sitting for hours at a laptop or tablet propped on your knees or even worse propped up whilst laying on a bed or flat surface can cause muscular tension in your shoulders and neck and cause initially aches and pains in the local areas but if you don’t pay attention to these signs then you can go 
on to experience headaches. The relationship between the muscles, joints, and nerves may have been challenged and you may need some work on both the muscles and joints to reset things and encourage them back to neutral. This is where chiropractic may be able to help with adjustments, posture advice, exercise, and other hints and tips.

Migraines are a very specific type of headache, usually caused by an imbalance in the chemistry in our brain. Often triggered by an activity, visual stimulus, or food such as chocolate, orange, and coffee. However, there is another form of headache that the symptom mimics Migraine and that is Cervicogenic Headache.

Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic Headaches may be as intense or debilitating as Migraine and may also be made worse by some or all of the typical migraine stimuli. These headaches are caused by tension in the structures of the neck. It may be that years ago you had a fall, whiplash or another injury that at the time gave you no symptoms. This is an area where chiropractic can be very effective. Blood pressure can also be a cause of headaches and if you haven’t had your blood pressure taken recently this is often a good place to start.

There are other less common causes of headaches accompanied by strange visual experiences, smells, and sometimes sounds. If you have a recurrent type of headache that worries you DON’T hesitate to get it checked out whether it be with an Optician, General Practitioner, or your Chiropractor.

Have a great Headache free week.

If you would like more information or advice please call Greenacres Health on 01733254239.