Am I Suffering From Tension Headaches?

About Tension Type Headaches: (Chowdhury, 2012)

• Usually bilateral pressing or tightening sensation around the head
• Spinal joint dysfunctions found in cervical spine including tight musculature such as Suboccipital muscles and Traps
• Affected daily activity and decreased concentration due to pain or photophobia
• Headache worse in the afternoon, due to stress or tiredness
  

Factors that could be contributing to the problem: (Ahmed, 2012)

• Smoking Stress/Alcohol Sedentary Lifestyle
• Psychopathology Strenuous activities
• Trauma/Previous Neck Injury Forward head posture
• Low Work Satisfaction Environment

Can a Chiropractor Help?

Yes! Some ways in which our chiropractors can help include but are not limited to:

• Spinal manipulation/activator and drop piece techniques, also known as adjustive techniques, have been shown to decrease pain and increase range of motion

• Trigger point therapy, dry needling and handheld massagers have shown to decrease pain and tenderness, enhance both range of motion and quality of life whilst influencing flexibility.

• Prescribed stretching and exercise! Stretching has been shown to reduce pain and improving functionality and overall wellbeing in patients in both long- and short-term outcomes

Ahmed, F. (2012). Headache disorders: differentiating and managing the common subtypes. British Journal Of Pain, 6(3), 124-doi:10.1177/2049463712459691

Chowdhury D. (2012). Tension type headache. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 15(Suppl 1), S83–S88.
doi:10.4103/0972-2327.100023

Check out our Blog on our Top 3 Neck Stretches that you could be doing to help alleviate your symptoms today!