Do You or Someone You Love Suffer from Persistent Headaches?

Headaches are an incredibly common problem, the physical and mental toll migraines and other headaches take on those who suffer from them can be quite significant. It is important to seek treatment to minimize their occurrence and impact.

Some of the more common types of headaches we treat at Forward Health include cervicogenic headaches, tension-type headaches, and of course, migraines. Cervicogenic headaches originate from the cervical spine (neck), versus tension-type headaches are related to muscle tension in the forehead, face and neck. Migraines are a neuro-vascular cause of headaches and are related to altered activity of the brainstem and nerve tissue.

We can diagnose your specific type of headache according to key characteristics such as:

• Area of pain
• Severity of pain
• Chronicity (length of time you have suffered with headaches) and length of each episode
• Regularity of episodes
• The presence or absence of light/sound sensitivity

One of the most helpful things you can do is keep a headache diary. Each time you get a headache, jot down these details that might help determine possible headache triggers.

• Date and Time – can reveal symptom patterns.
• Duration and Intensity – Rate your headache pain on a scale from: 1 to 10 (mild to severe)
• Triggers – List possible triggers that might have caused your headache, such as certain foods, sounds, odours, physical activity or oversleeping.
• Symptoms – What else were you experiencing before the headache?

Recent research suggests the joints, muscles and nerve tissue in the neck may have a significant role to play when it comes to headaches and migraines, indicating chiropractic as an effective treatment option. If you or someone you know suffers from headaches or migraines, we are here to help!

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