Dublin Family Chiropractic

According to the National Headache Foundation:

If you or someone you know suffers from headaches (even one a week) this is not normal.
A headache is usually a sign that something else is going on,
a deeper issue that needs to be addressed. 
By scheduling an appointment with our massage therapist and/or the Doctor of Chiropractic,
we can get to the source of your headache and...
correct the cause, not just treat the symptoms!

A headache of this nature is usually located around the cheeks, forehead and is a feeling of deep pressure and can be worse when bending forward or moving the head too quickly.

This pain will usually start in the back of the neck or base of the skull and radiate up and around to the forehead area.   The pain is generally described as dull and achy, but can also be a tightness in the scalp, neck and shoulders.

Worse than any other headache, a migraine has other associated symptoms that range from throbbing to flashes of light and tingling in the arms. 

Cluster Headache:  This type of headache is a little less common, but symptoms are usually described as sharp pain in one area of the head or face.  There can be tearing in the eyes and a runny nose and a sense of burning pain on that side of the face or head.

Hormone Headache:  As the levels of estrogen and progesterone change during a woman's menstrual cycle, there can be a prevalence for headache.  The symptom's of a hormone headache are very similar to those of migraine.

Other:  Some other factors that influence headaches are dehydration, eye strain, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders or other oral/tooth complications, poor diet, poor posture, side-effects of medications and many more.

 The neck (cervical region) is made of 7 bones that are stacked to make columns  strengthened by ligaments and muscles.  These bones are uniquely related to the ones above and below as well as the surrounding nerves and blood vessels because of the limited space in and around the cervical spine.

One of these unique joints is between the base of the skull (the occipital bone) and the first cervical vertebrae ("Atlas" or C1).  Another one is that between C1 and "Axis" or C2.  The reason these specific joints differ from the rest of the spine is because of the direction they turn the head and therefore the rest of the neck.  If one of these joints becomes misaligned or "subluxated" the result can be decreased blood flow through the vessels, and an altered sensation from the nerves around the spine.  This altered sensation can cause pain, numbness/tingling, tightness in the surrounding muscles and many more symptoms.  Along with the blood vessels and nerves, there are also lymph nodes that lace in and around the muscles of the neck.  If these lymph nodes are blocked off the ability of the immune system to rid the body of bacteria or other harmful material may not function.  The result of this extra lymph could be sinus infections, head cold symptoms, earaches, etc.
So chiropractic will look at the relationship between these joints and structures and help to realign them, allowing the optimal blood flow to return and remove any interference with the nerves as they connect to the tissues and muscles around the area.

Click here to see what else chiropractic adjustments can help with.