Possible Origins of Your Headaches

If you keep getting headaches not clearly associated with a specific illness, you might be doing something to bring them on. Here are three common triggers for that pain in your head:

1. Certain kinds of food and drink can trigger migraines. Cheese, wine and chocolate, for instance, may contain a migraine-creating substance called tyramine. Withdrawal from a particular substance can also induce a headache. Two examples include the classic hangover from alcohol consumption and the “caffeine headaches” many people suffer when they first give up coffee.

2. Chronic stress can lead to tension headaches. Emotional stress tends to create muscle tension. When this tension makes its way to the muscles and nerves in the neck and head, pain can result. Repetitive stress disorder from years of poor posture at your desk or work-related eye strain can cause physical stress and muscle tension, resulting in ongoing headaches.

3. An acute injury that throws your spinal column out of alignment can leave you with a variety of symptoms, including headaches. For example, if you suffer whiplash from an auto injury accident, the combination of muscle damage, cervical misalignment, bulging discs and pinched nerves can cause not only neck pain and immobility but also recurring or constant headaches. Even an injury to the lumbar area of the spine can indirectly cause headaches in addition to back pain as the resulting imbalance causes muscle strain throughout your body.

Relief for Dunedin Headaches

If you are plagued by headaches, the answer you’ve been seeking for months or even years may lie in Dunedin chiropractic care right here at our clinic. Our own Dr. Raveling’s “whole person” approach combines careful evaluations, spinal adjustment, physiotherapy and nutritional support to correct any musculoskeletal issues that may cause chronic discomfort. These methods not only undo the tension behind tension headaches, but they can even aid migraine sufferers by helping normalize blood pressure, a known factor in migraines. Stop hurting and start healing — contact us for an appointment!

How often do you experience headaches? Do you know what triggers them?