It's Headache Awareness Week!

Headaches are one of the most common health complaints – after all, almost everybody has had headaches at times in their lives. More than 45 million Americans (about 1 in 6) suffer from chronic headaches each year. Twenty-eight million Americans – 13 percent of the population – suffer from migraines, headaches characterized by throbbing head pain often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. What you might not know is that your doctor of chiropractic could help you make that pain go away.

According to the National Headache Foundation (NHF), time lost from work and resulting medical expenses due to headaches are estimated to cost American businesses approximately $50 billion per year. Migraine sufferers alone account for more than 157 million workdays lost. In an effort to educate the public about the impact and severity of headache, the NHF has declared June 6-12, 2010, National Headache Awareness Week.

There’s a conception that chiropractic is just for a bad back, but nothing could be further from the truth. I personally have treated many patients suffering from headache pain with great success. Numerous scientific studies also show chiropractic care to be an extremely effective, drug-free way to relieve the pain from chronic headaches.

The Duke [University] Headache Evidence Report found that chiropractic was shown to produce “markedly superior results” over amitriptyline (one of the most commonly prescribed medications for headaches) in the treatment of tension-type headaches. The study also noted that chiropractic produced “sustained improvement in headache frequency and severity” in the treatment of cervicogenic headache (headaches where the primary contributing structural source of the headache is the cervical spine).


“Americans are becoming less and less active, spending more and more time in one fixed position or posture, such as at a desk in front of a computer,” said Dr. Westerbeke. “This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck and upper back, causing the head to ache. Spinal manipulation improves spinal function, alleviating stress on the neuromusculoskeletal system and, in the process, greatly reducing or possibly even eliminating headache pain.”


How Can Headaches Be Prevented?
Muscle-tension headaches can often be avoided by maintaining proper posture and neck movements while performing your normal activities. Dr. Westerbeke, the Michigan Association of Chiropractors, and the American Chiropractic Association recommend the following:
-Avoid slouching
-Avoid reading with your neck bent forward
-Keep your computer monitor at eye level
-Take frequent breaks from reading and working on the computer
-Try a low-fat, high complex carbohydrate diet. A recent study demonstrated that such a diet can dramatically lower the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine headaches.

Avoid the following food “triggers:”
-Caffeine. Foods such as chocolate, coffee, sodas, and cocoa contain high levels of the stimulant.
-High salt or sugar content. These foods may cause migraines, resulting to sensitivity to light, noise, or abrupt movements.
-Alcohol. Alcoholic beverages can dehydrate you and cause headache pain.
-High-protein foods, dairy products, red meat, and salty foods can all contribute to headache pain.
-Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, avoid heavy exercise if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches. Engage in walking and low-impact aerobics instead.
-Avoid clenching your teeth.