Headaches can be painful and disruptive. It is hard to concentrate on anything while you have a pounding headache. It is easy to get into the habit of taking a few painkillers and toughing it out, but what if you could treat the actual cause of the ache, instead of just the symptom?
What causes headaches?
Typically the muscles at the base of your skull are the cause of headaches. These muscles can shorten and be stiff and painful. You can stress these muscles if the bones of your neck and back are out of alignment. The muscles of the neck will tighten and can compress your nerves. You will feel the compression as a headache.
Life is hard on a body!
You can be contributing to neck stress and headaches during everyday activities. The way that you sit at your desk can put pressure on your spine, if you have your computer too low you are straining your neck by looking down at it during your work day. If your posture is poor you are putting extra wear and tear on your body, which can cause muscles to tighten and stiffen. Take a break and stand and stretch during your work day to help relax your body.
A traumatic event like a car accident or fall can also contribute to stresses on your neck and spine. You may not feel the effects immediately, but symptoms like headaches can emerge days or weeks after the accident and can continue for years.
Being stressed can also cause headaches. In this busy world it is easy to overextend yourself. We live with a lack of sleep, we don’t have time to make healthier meals, and we certainly don’t have time to relax, stop thinking about the work day, and let our minds decompress. Try taking a short walk outside to break up the work day and let your mind and body relax, or go to bed an hour earlier, a lack of sleep can cause our bodies to react poorly to stress.
Do not settle for chronic pain
People tend to think that headaches are just part of life. Growing older maybe. But often people do not look past the relief of a painkiller to the real issue. If you have been suffering with headaches for years, or you have just noticed that headaches are starting to intrude on your life, lets work toward getting this issue under control.
You do not need to live with pain. Come in for a consultation, Dr. Elsey will talk with you to figure out the best way to address your specific situation. We want to help you live life to the fullest, it is difficult to reach your potential when you have to work around headaches.
