Headache Relief In East Grand Rapids MI

If you’re suffering from chronic headaches and you’re looking for a natural care approach, the team at The Chiropractic Doctors can help. We can provide East Grand Rapids MI headache relief, for patients who are suffering from chronic headaches, neck pain, muscle tension, and more.

Chiropractic treatment for headache relief is a natural care approach that often involves some combination of passive and active exercises, spinal manipulation, and massage. Different types of headaches can be treated effectively with chiropractic care, without the use of harmful medications that can be habit-forming.

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Headache Types In East Grand Rapids MI

The headache specialists at our facility can treat many different types of headaches, including severe migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches, medication overuse headaches, and cervicogenic headaches, using a natural care approach.

Medication Overuse Headaches

A medication overuse headache is caused by taking pain medication too often to relieve headaches. When a person gets a headache, they usually take their preventive medication for temporary relief. However, if medication overuse headaches aren't well-controlled, a person will develop more headaches, causing them to take more medication than needed to manage their pain. This can result in the development of daily headaches.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches can be very disruptive. A person can have a cluster headache for weeks or months at a time. These headaches often follow a pattern and show up at the same time every day. Each headache can last up to forty-five minutes, although some can be shorter or longer.

Chiropractic treatment can be very effective since it focuses on natural care, without the use of expensive drugs. Chiropractic treatment ensures that the body is operating a peak performance, improving body-brain communication. An adjustment that’s applied using gentle pressure can restore proper nervous system functioning and joint motion. The focus for this type of headache treatment will be on the upper cervical joints. When joint motion is restored, the nervous system can function more efficiently and relax. The tightness in the cervical muscles will decrease as will the rigidity in the spine muscles.

Cervicogenic Headaches

A cervicogenic headache often begins on the back of the head on one side, gradually moving to the front of the head. It’s common for this type of headache to also cause arm pain and shoulder pain on the same side affected by the headache. These types of headaches are believed to be triggered by an injury and are connected to an underlying neck problem.

Primary Headache/Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are a type of primary headache that's very common. This type of primary headache is often caused by muscle tension in the head, shoulders, or neck. A primary headache can improve with specialized chiropractic treatment and is not caused by an underlying medical condition but is instead usually caused by:

Grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw
Driving for long periods of time
Working at a desk all day on a computer
Neck strain from looking down at your phone
These types of activities can overstrain the muscles on the back of the neck, which will weaken the muscles and increase a person’s vulnerability to tension headaches.

Secondary Headache

Unlike a primary headache, a secondary headache is caused by an underlying medical condition, such as a sinus infection or a neck injury. A secondary headache is rarely a sign of a serious underlying condition, however, it is possible. Serious underlying health conditions that can cause a secondary headache can include:

• Brain tumor
• High blood pressure
• Problems with blood vessels
• Hydrocephalus
• Brain infection

If you are suffering from secondary headaches, you should meet with your primary physician before seeking chiropractic treatment. If your secondary headaches are due to a neck injury, we can provide natural care that prevents the reoccurrence of secondary headaches, while offering immediate pain relief.

Recurrent Headache

More than two headaches a week is not normal. Many people will have a recurrent headache, daily, or several times a day, due to underlying medical conditions or certain lifestyle factors. Smoking, excessive caffeine consumption, working at a computer for several hours a day, or dehydration, can all be to blame for a recurrent headache. If you're suffering from a recurrent headache several times a week, contact our facility today to schedule an appointment.

Severe Migraine in Adults

Migraines are severe headaches that can cause pain that’s very debilitating. Because back pain and neck pain can result in muscle tension and can irritate the nerves that control the blood flow to the head, spinal manipulation for a severe migraine can provide immediate pain relief. It can also reduce the frequency of migraines and may decrease the severity and duration of the migraine.

Chiropractic care for a severe migraine in adults is unique because it incorporates a variety of methods to treat the source of a severe migraine instead of simply masking the effects after the headache has started.

By ensuring spinal alignment, chiropractic treatment can restore proper nervous system communication.

Treatment for migraine in adults can also reduce muscle tension, which is a common trigger for many types of headaches, including severe migraines.

Not many people associate chiropractic care with migraine treatment. While it’s true that a chiropractor also treats things like back injuries, sports injuries, and sciatica, chiropractic treatment can also help relieve the debilitating symptoms of migraine headaches that can sideline someone for a full day or several days.

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What is Abortive Therapy/Acute Migraine Treatment?

Abortive therapy, also known as acute migraine treatment, is intended to stop headaches after they have started. Acute migraine treatment will target symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and head pain. Unfortunately, acute migraine treatment only provides temporary relief and involves the use of medications such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen. Acute migraine treatment often only masks the symptoms. For people seeking natural care, chiropractic care can be the best option.

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Individualized Headache Treatment

Treatment for headache relief should be individualized for maximum efficacy. This can mean that a chiropractor works as part of a team of medical professionals, such as a physical therapist, to find the right combination of treatments. We can work with a physical therapist, massage therapist, and the other professionals in a patient’s medical team to ensure they receive the treatment they need for effective relief.