Most people experience headaches of some sort. Whereas headaches are just a minor annoyance for some people in New Berlin WI, for others, headaches can be outright debilitating. While there are various causes, headaches are classified in the three categories of tension, migraine, and cluster.

Tension headaches are the most common, resulting from muscle stiffness, joint dysfunction, or anxiety. While the precise causes of migraines and cluster headaches are not entirely understood, it is believed that these types of headaches result from the constriction and dilation of the blood vessels in and adjacent to the head.

Headaches are often due to issues with the pain-sensitive structures in the skull and neck, such as nerves, joints, and muscles. While occasional headaches typically do not present much of a problem for most people, patients with severe and/or frequent headaches may benefit from a visit to a chiropractor.

Causes of Headaches in New Berlin WI

When muscles in the neck and upper back tighten, the dura matter, one type of tissue that covers the brain, stretches. This can cause pain that may be felt on the sides of the head, across the forehead or in and behind the eyes. In severe cases, this muscle tension can lead to migraines. This can sometimes be caused by subluxations of the vertebrae in the neck and upper back, pinching nerves, and restricting blood flow that results in pain. For some people, headaches may be triggered by lifestyle events such as:

• Eating certain foods, such as processed meats, or drinking alcohol, like red wine.
• Experiencing excessive stress or anxiety.
• Maintaining poor posture.
• Not eating properly.
• Getting inadequate amounts of sleep.

Chiropractic care is often used for headaches and typically involves a combination of spinal manipulation, exercises, and massage. While the effectiveness of chiropractic care for some forms of headache isn't always clear cut, one Australian study determined in a clinical trial that over 70 percent of migraine sufferers experienced improvement after seeking chiropractic care.

While visiting a chiropractor is a popular and often effective care option, chiropractic care may be better suited to treating some forms of headaches than others. Additionally, some patients respond better to chiropractic care for headaches then do others.

If you are suffering from frequent or severe headaches, please give our office a call. We are a chiropractic company in Brookfield WI, New Berlin WI, and Williams Bay WI and have experience helping our patients suffering from headaches. We will perform a thorough evaluation to try to determine the cause of your headache and if chiropractic care is right for you.