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YOUR PAIN WITH DRUG-FREE HEADACHE PREVENTION
A
Personal Letter from Drs. Brenda and Erik Slovin...
Understanding Headache Pain: What It Is And Why It Hurts
Headache
pain seems to be a national affliction, with over 90% of Americans reporting
that they suffer from occasional to chronic headaches. As a matter of
fact, over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches and a startling
28 million suffer debilitating migraine headaches.
Contrary
to its name, a headache simply describes the location of your pain –
in the face, neck, upper back and sometimes in the shoulder area.
Your brain and skull cannot actually experience pain, as they do not contain
pain sensitive fibers. However, the nerves surrounding your face, scalp
and neck are extremely sensitive to pain, particularly when blood vessels
in your head and face become irritated or tense.
Unfortunately,
the source of headache pain can sometime be difficult to identify and
treat.
If you number among the ranks of millions of headache sufferers, you may
experience tension headaches, migraine headaches, cluster headaches, sinus
headaches or even headaches caused by medication.
Each type of headache has a distinct pain, and reactions can vary from
one person to the next.
Regardless of the cause of your headache pain, the good news is that natural,
drug-free headache prevention and relief has been shown to be incredibly
effective.
Chiropractic
Can Provide Highly Effective Headache Pain Relief
Many
times, the root cause of blindingly painful headaches is actually found
in the neck. When the bones in your neck, also called your cervical spine,
are misaligned, the result is often chronic headache and neck pain along
with limited mobility.
Case in point, research has found that about 40% of headaches actually
start in the cervical spine.(1)
Through a series of gentle adjustments of the neck and head, professional
chiropractic treatment can provide fast, long-lasting, natural headache
relief.(2)
Additionally, chronic sinus headache pain often caused by a misalignment
of the jaw can be relieved by chiropractic manipulation.
The bottom
line? A
physical problem requires a physical solution rather than medications
that simply mask the pain. Recognize that headaches are your body’s
way of getting your attention and highlighting an imbalance that needs
to be addressed.
Simply managing the pain without addressing the underlying imbalance will
not only leave you vulnerable to further headaches, it can lead to other,
more substantial health issues.
Medications
Can Worsen Your Headache Pain
Many prescription
and over-the-counter pain relief medications actually cause or increase
your level of headache pain.
For instance, although aspirin, Tylenol™, Advil™ and other
pain reducers are effective in the treatment of occasional headache pain,
the overuse of any of these drugs will often make an existing headache
worse (this is called a drug-rebound headache) and can seriously damage
your liver and kidneys.
Also, it is important to note that many popular medications list headaches
as typical side effects. Oral contraceptives, anti-depressants, hormone
replacement therapy, heart medications and high blood pressure medications
are among the prescription culprits.
Over-the-counter cold, allergy and decongestant medications can also instigate
severe headaches. A
smart solution is to check with your physician to see if natural alternatives
to prescription or over-the-counter medications would be a good choice
for you. For example, holistic medications, exercise, and a more healthful
diet may prove to be incredibly beneficial.
Limit
Your Daily Java To Avoid Drug-Rebound Headaches
Excessive
caffeine can produce drug-rebound headaches in some individuals, even
if pain medication is not being overused.
Although some schools of thought recommend caffeine for headache pain
relief, ingesting caffeine on a regular basis can actually trigger drug-rebound
tension headaches as well as migraine headaches.
So try limiting the amount of coffee, tea and caffeinated sodas that you
drink. Instead, opt for a satisfying glass of crystal clear water. An
added benefit of increasing your water consumption is that proper hydration
is also an excellent way to help prevent chronic headaches.
Stress
Management Can Tame And Prevent Headache Pain
Ongoing stress
and internalized anger can play a key role in predicting how frequently
you experience headaches, as well as their severity.
Some fascinating research has revealed that internalizing, or holding
in, anger is a huge predictor of the onset of headache and neck pain.(3)
Various stress management techniques such as yoga, biofeedback or meditation
can be extremely helpful in reducing stress, anger, and even blood pressure.
The result will be considerably fewer stress-related headaches and a much
more peaceful state of mind.
References:
(1) Wien Med Wochenschr 1994;144:102-8
(2) J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001;24:457
(3) Headache 2003;43:651
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Slovin Chiropractic Center
205 Main Avenue, Norwalk CT, 06851
Phone: 203-840-0000
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