If you frequently have headaches while concentrating on projects at work or home, you may have upper back or neck muscle tension. Don't reach for the pain pills. Call a local chiropractor that specializes in treating headaches. They will correct the muscle tension and free you of your annoying tension headaches. Here is why you're having those tension headaches and what your chiropractor can do to help.
Muscles Stimulate Nerves and Create Pain
A number of nerves come off of your spinal cord in the neck area and extend into your head. When concentrating intently on a project and holding your head still for several hours, the muscles in your neck become tired and begin to contract. These tense muscles put pressure on the nerves which results in pain. The typical tension headache is felt in the temples, where several nerves intersect.
Chiropractic Treatment for Tension Headaches
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to relieve the muscle tension in your neck and the pressure on the nerves. You doctor will offer a number of techniques that can safely be used in combination with each other to attack your muscle tension.
Physical Therapy
One side effect of the muscle tension is a stiff neck. The contracted muscles make it difficult to move your head and neck through its full range of motion. Your doctor or physical therapist will slowly stretch out those neck muscles until they relax into their original length. The therapist may use hot packs on your neck before the session to increase circulation and reduce swelling. After the session, they may apply cold packs to prevent swelling and pain from the exercises.
Active Release Techniques
Chiropractors learn how to work with individual muscles and muscle groups. Your doctor can isolate tense muscles in your neck and massage them in their normal direction of movement until they relax. If they find a severely contracted muscle that feels like a knot under the skin, they can apply steady pressure directly on the knot until that muscle relaxes. These soft tissue techniques gently work the muscles out of their tense state to minimize the risk of tearing muscle fibers.
TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation)
This technique uses a device to send a small electrical charge through the muscles and nerves in the affected area. This causes the muscles to relax. Your chiropractor can start these sessions in their office, but home units are available to continue this treatment on your own.
These non-invasive approaches by your chiropractor give you relief without relying on medication or more invasive treatments, such as steroid injections or surgery. Don't suffer through tension headaches when you can stop into your local chiropractic clinic and get help. Contact someone like Dr. Jason B Kaster DC for more information.
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