Suffering From Chronic Headaches? Chiropractic Care Can Help

There are several kinds of headaches. Some creep in with a dull, persistent throb while others knock you off your feet with debilitating pain and nausea. Dr. Nathan Conroy, DC, understands that no matter how intense your symptoms may be, chronic headaches can impact your quality of life. But you don’t have to grit your teeth and suffer through the pain or turn to risky medications to find relief. At Genesis Integrative Medicine, Dr. Conroy, DC, offers personalized chiropractic care treatments to improve your overall health and manage your chronic headache symptoms.

Understanding chronic headaches

There are over 150 kinds of headaches organized into two categories: primary and secondary. Only a small percentage of headaches fall into the secondary category. These types of headaches develop because of other issues, like a sinus infection, dehydration, or eating something very cold. 

When you have a primary headache, they are the main problem. That means that instead of being a symptom of something else, these headaches occur because of issues or overactivity in specific structures in your head, including:

• Nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull
• Chemical activity in your brain
• Muscle tension in your neck or head

Approximately 95% of headaches fall into the primary headache category. The most common forms of chronic primary headaches include migraines, tension, cluster, and cervicogenic headaches. 

Chiropractic care and chronic headaches

Chronic headaches have become an increasingly more common complaint in recent years. That's because we’re spending long periods sitting in front of computers and leading more sedentary lifestyles. These physical changes lead to intense muscle tension in your upper back, neck, and scalp as well as joint irritation, resulting in chronic headache pain. These causes make chiropractic care a natural solution that provides significant relief.

To treat chronic headaches, Dr. Conroy, DC, relies on a combination of gentle, hands-on methods including spinal manipulation, passive and active exercises, and massage. These chiropractic techniques focus on painlessly realigning your spine. This approach relieves spinal tension, improves function, and alleviates stress on your system. 

In addition to physical chiropractic care methods, Dr. Conroy, DC, also offers nutritional advice to manage chronic headaches, such as dietary changes and dietary supplements. Another important aspect of your treatment plan often includes recommendations to improve your posture, workplace ergonomics, and relaxation techniques designed to address muscle tension in your neck and upper back.

For long-term headache relief, Dr. Conroy, DC, works closely with you to develop a personalized preventive chiropractic care plan. This strategy focuses on maintaining your spinal alignment and keeping your symptoms at bay.

For more information on chiropractic care and chronic headaches, contact us by calling Genesis Integrative Medicine in Geneva, Illinois, or by scheduling an appointment online today.