1st Choice Health & Wellness specializes in natural, nonsurgical headache treatment for Louisville, KY, New Albany and surrounding areas. Our comprehensive care focuses on the underlying cause of your pain and relieving it through various natural, nonsurgical treatments including chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy and more.
Each of our treatment plans are custom tailored to each patient by our Louisville headache doctors, designed to fit their individual needs and condition. Our goal is to reduce your pain and improve your daily function.
Types of Headaches: Migraine, Cluster and Tension
Headaches are a common form of pain.
According to the National Institutes of Health, a headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp or neck.
It's a major reason for people to missing days at work or school. Nine out of ten people suffer from headaches- some are occasional, some are frequent, and some even daily. 95% percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches.
- Tension headaches are the most common type (and the most common our Louisville headache doctors treat) and are likely caused by tight muscles in the shoulder, neck, scalp, and jaw. This may be due to a previous injury, stress, or even from environmental factors (i.e. prolonged sitting, working at a computer). Tension headaches present as pain along both sides of the head and can often start as pain in the back of the head that spreads forward. Many people describe it as a tight band around the head.
- Cluster headaches are sharp, very painful headaches that are typically centered around one eye and usually last less than an hour but can occur up to several times a day. These are one of the least common types of headaches.
- Migraine headaches involve severe pain that is often throbbing, pounding, or pulsating and may occur with other symptoms such as vision changes, sensitivity to sound or light, or nausea. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days at a time.
Genetics and environmental factors appear to play a role in the cause of migraines. Imbalances in brain chemicals, hormonal fluctuations, foods, stress, environmental changes, and medications are just a few of the triggers that can instigate a migraine.
How Chiropractic Can Help Relieve Headaches
Many research studies show that spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustment) is an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.
Further, A 2014 report in the JMPT found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of neck pain. Also, a 2011 JMPT study found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches.
Our Approach
- Our New Albany chiropractors may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:
- Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
- Provide nutritional advice and recommend a change in diet and perhaps the addition of supplements and vitamins.
- Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
How Acupuncture Can Treat Headaches
While many people turn to medication for headache and migraine relief, acupuncture is a safe and natural alternative treatment. A study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry compared acupuncture versus medical treatment for migraine and muscle tension headaches and showed that nearly 60% of patients improved on acupuncture while only 25% improved on medical treatment. Of 29 patients who changed from one form of treatment to the other, a larger portion preferred acupuncture to medical treatment.
Acupuncture treatment, a component of traditional Chinese medicine, involves inserting very thin needles into specific points on the body. It stimulates various systems of your body, which triggers a healing response. Patients who receive acupuncture treatment for headaches report less frequency of headaches and less pain due to headaches. In fact, a study at the University of North Carolina that consisted of more than 70 chronic headache sufferers found that those who had a 6-week course of acupuncture treatment reported less pain and better quality of life compared to those who did not receive acupuncture treatment.
Call Our Louisville Headache Doctors in New Albany!
So whether you are suffering from migraine, cluster, or tension headaches, acupuncture and chiropractic may be an effective solution for your headache relief. If you have any questions regarding treatments or any other service at 1st Choice, call our Louisville headache doctors at (812) 945-4500 to schedule a one-on-one consultation.
