Austin Headache and Migraine Treatment from Whitehead Clinic
Headaches and migraines can not only ruin a day, but they can also be a symptom of a more serious, underlying problem. At Whitehead Chiropractic, we offer a number of Austin headache and migraine treatments that can relieve the pain as well as treat and correct the underlying cause. Our chiropractor, Dr. Wendee Whitehead, uses several highly-effective adjustment approaches that are customized to your needs and are patient proven techniques that provide outstanding results.
Effective Chiropractic Techniques for Relieving Headaches and Migraines
The first step in effective treatment is determining the underlying cause. Headaches that crop up from time to time are typically caused by neck muscle tightness, a reaction to medication or drugs, stress, high blood pressure, low blood sugar, fatigue or temporomandibular joint dysfunction known as TMJ. When a headache becomes a recurring problem, it is most often caused by a combination of subluxations and active trigger points, in which case a tension headache results, or constricted blood vessels, which leads to migraines or a cluster headache.
Tension headaches can occur when the upper back and neck vertebrae are misaligned. This subluxation often causes a small area muscle known as the rectus capitis to go into spasm, affecting the muscle’s attached tendon and the pain-sensitive tissue dura matter covering the brain to which the tendon connects. Such a subluxation, common in people who sit at a desk all day, is enough to cause a tension headache on its own, but it can also be accompanied by pain from trigger points from the levator muscle, located on the side of the neck. When this muscle is damaged, as is common in whiplash injuries, its trigger points become active and headache pain can result.
Migraines are most commonly caused by restricted blood flow due to dilated blood vessels. The dilated vessels cause an increase of blood pressure inside the head, which results in a pounding headache. The causes behind the dilations are not known, although triggers that lead to a migraine are. They include stress, lack of sleep, strong odors, flickering lights and a change in weather patterns. Food high in tyramine, a type of amino acid, can also trigger a migraine. A cluster headache, which results in sharp bursts of intense pain, is also caused by dilated blood vessels.
Effective headache treatments from our clinic include specific types of spinal manipulation, trigger point therapy, and nutritional counseling. Our adjustment techniques include the Gonstead Technique, Upper Cervical Care, Thompson Thermal Point, and Activator Methods, all of which use minimum force to produce maximum results. Dr. Whitehead is one of only a few Austin chiropractors utilizing the Gonstead Technique for treating a variety of patient conditions, including headaches and migraines. Gonstead relies on comprehensive testing to determine the precise weakness or misalignment causing the pain or headaches. This highly effective technique uses the testing to also prescribe in what order the adjustments need to be applied.
The Upper Cervical Care technique focuses on the alignment of the upper two vertebra of the spine. These vertebra are known as the Atlas and Axis vertebrae and this technique uses gentle and minute adjustments, often providing significant results. This technique has had outstanding results for Dr. Whitehead, both personally and for the patients she has treated.
Additionally, our chiropractor can suggest lifestyle changes to reduce the chances of suffering from migraines or cluster headaches as well as reduce triggers that can cause any type of headache. In addition to the triggers that can lead to migraines, other triggers may include processed foods that contain nitrate preservatives, foods containing MSG, exposure to insecticides and other poisons and intense emotional states.
If you suffer from intense or chronic headaches or migraines, call us at 512-368-4960 today to see how Dr. Whitehead can help.
