Headaches

During the past year, nearly 90% of men and 95% of women have had at least one headache. Migraine headaches afflict up to 30 million people in the United states alone. Tension type headaches are the most common, affecting more than 75% of all headache suffers.

Number of Workdays of Lost Production/Restricted Activity Per Year:

• Employed Males- 2.7 million
• Employed Females- 18.8 million days
• Housewives- 38.5 million

Kids and Headaches

2 out of 5 of adults report the onset of headaches prior to age ten. American children ages 5-17 missed 4.2 million days of school last year complaining of Headaches. Recent chiropractic research has shown by restoring the normal position of the spinal bones, there is decrease in frequency, duration, and intensity of headaches, often thy completely subside.

Definition of Headache: (webster's) pain in the head, pain behind the eyes, pain which causes dizziness, pain in the temples, scalp, or base of head, or on both sides of head. Headache pain occurs in the tissues covering the brain, the attaching structures at the base of the brain, and the muscles and blood vessels around the scalp, face, and neck. The brain itself is insensitive to pain.

Types of Headaches

• Tension Headaches comprise 85-90% of the primary headaches. Often experienced in the forehead, back of head, neck, can form hatband vise-like. Lasts minutes to days. Often accompanied with depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, chemical imbalance.
• Vascular Headaches (ie. Migraines) comprise 8-10% of the primary headaches. Often experienced in the forehead, back of head, neck, can form hatband vise-like. Lasts minutes to days. Often accompanied with depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, chemical imbalance. Phases of a migraine:
  1. prodrome- light and sound sensitivity, change of appetite, fatigue, malaise, mood change.
  2. aura- this stage is present in classic migraines. Stage of obvious visual, auditory, or perceptual disturbances.
  3. attack- throbbing pain on one side of the head, accompanied by nausea, possible vomiting, facial symptoms, lasts 4-72 hours.
  4. prodrome- stage of exhaustion and mental in-coordination.
• Cluster comprise 2% of primary headaches. Causes severe, stabbing pain centered in one eye accompanied by excessive tearing, restlessness, and often last 30-90 minutes. Recurrent cluster attacks generally recur over 4-12 weeks, with headache free periods of months to years.. Secondary headaches are a result of infections, tumors, nasal and sinus problems.

Treatments Heat/ice, Hot Bath, Sleep- especially beneficial for vascular headaches Over the Counter Medication- aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) Acetaminophen use is the #1 cause of kidney failure. Overusing medications can cause chronic daily headaches called- rebound headaches, due to the medications themselves or by withdrawal. Acetaminophen use in children over long periods of time can cause serious liver damage. The CDC recommends that children uder 16 do not take aspirin. Prescription Medications (pain relievers, Anti-depressants, etc.), The most common prescribed drug for treating tension headaches is the antidepressant-amitiptyline (Elavil) Mayo Health Clinic plainly states in the headache brochures that, medications don't cure headaches and that over time, painkillers and other medications lose their effectiveness. In addition, medications may have side effects and may cause chronic headaches. Not Chiropractic- we take care of the cause of headaches, we correct subluxation, we don't treat anything. When the cause is corrected there doesn't need to be treatment, it is prevention.

Prevention Exercise- regular exercise may reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Exercise releases beta-endorphins (as does the chiropractic adjustment). Stress Reduction- this can reduce the "triggers" of headaches and better hope you cope with pain. Come to our Stress Reduction Workshop in November. Sleep- very effective for dealing with cluster and migraine headaches. Chiropractic Care

Research Efficacy of spinal manipulation, amitriptyline (Elavil) and the combination of both therapies. Patients who received only chiropractic showed marked improvement, on apar with those given the powerful drug (although without the side effects). The headache index, from a dairy kept by each patient, showed chiropractic to have reduced the severity and frequency of headaches after care was stopped. The effects of chiropractic are lasting, medication effficacy does not last over time. A controlled trial of manipulation for migraine. Patients who received a minimum of 2 manipulations/adjustments per week for 2 months. 85% of these individual showed significant improvement in frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine headache episodes A case series of migraine changes following a manipulative therapy. Average frequency of episode was reduced 90%, length of headache was reduced 38%, Medication use was decreased 94%. The effects of spinal manipulation on treatment of cervicogenic headaches. Analgesic use dropped 36%, hours of headache per day dropped 69%, headache intensity was reduced 36%. Chiropractic treatment of childhood migraine headache. A case study of a 10 year old- During the first month of chiropractic care, the patient reported only two prodromal episodes but no full migraines. Chiropractic Treatment of Chronic Episodic Tension type Headaches in Male Subjects. Using the diversified technique (chiropractic technique) there was a 50% decrease in headache frequency and duration.

Author Contact Info: Dr. Scott Lynch
http://www.crownhillchiropractic.com