Chiropractic Can Treat Tension Headaches

Over the next week I’m going to make it a point to read what my fellow chiropractors around the country are writing about in their blogs.  While doing that and I came across an article from an Omaha Chiropractor Dr Tyler Baker that I feel would be appropriate to share with all of you.

From my education, personal research, and clinical experience I know chiropractic should be a part of any headache treatment protocol - so if you experience headaches call your chiropractor.  Why is that?  Because there are really only two causes of headaches:  problems in the neck and malfunction in the blood vessels of the brain. 

The neck can cause headaches because the nerves that come from the neck travel in the same nerve pathway as the nerves from the head and face.  So when there is malfunction in the neck and brain doesn’t know where the signals are coming from – the head or the neck so you get this non-specific, but sometimes specific pain in the head. 

The blood vessels in the brain have a nerve web that surrounds them, so when they dilate, it stretches or irritates this nerve web causing a headache.  Now it’s important to also note that there is a part of the brain that controls these blood vessels, it’s called the mesencephalon.  When the nerves of the mesencephalon malfunction it causes these blood vessels to spasm where they dilate and constrict (open and close) rapidly and repeatedly.  Therefore, irritating the nerve web and causing headache.

Dr Baker points out that tension headaches account for 90% of all headaches.  Tension headaches are identified by, believe it or not, the feeling of tension around the forehead or back of the neck.  The muscles around the neck go into spasm or become tight when the nerves of the neck are being irritated. 

If you've got nausea, visual disturbances, ringing in your ears or similar conditions that is more like a migraine headache which results from the blood vessels in the brain malfunctioning. 

Dr Baker points out that his Omaha Chiropractic office focuses on addressing the neck muscles and joints, which are the cause of tension headaches, to bring relief to those who suffer with headaches.


If you're interested here's Dr Baker's info:

Tyler Baker, D.C
Active Motion Chiropractic
13027 Arbor Street
(402) 334-2244
www.activemotionchiro.com