Chiropractic Is Safe And Effective For Headaches

There are various treatment options for headaches. How do you know which treatment to use. To make an informed decision, it is a good idea to understand the invasiveness of the treatment and the side effects. Millions of Americans suffer from headaches every day. Some headaches are only minor and others are severe. Many people's first treatment choice is medication or over the counter prescription drugs.

Medication can have adverse side effects. Acetaminophen or Tylenol is well known to cause liver toxicity. Non-steroidal or anti-inflammatory drugs are commonly used for headaches as well. These include such drugs as aspirin, ibuprofen and others. Prolonged use of these drugs is known to cause side effects such as gastric ulcers, uncontrolled bleeding, kidney and liver toxicity. These drugs have been linked to deaths that are caused by gastrointestinal complications.

People also seek prescription medication to deal with headaches. A commonly prescribed prescription medicine is amitriptyline. This is known to cause severe side effects. It is an antidepressant that was found to help those suffering with headaches. Some of the side effects include heart complications, delusions and suicidal thoughts to name a few. Drugs are known to reduce the symptoms of headaches, but often only mask the symptoms rather than treating the underlying cause. Because of the negative effects that drugs have on the body, many people look for other safer, natural solutions.

There are several different types of headaches, some of which respond very well to chiropractic treatment. Some of the causes linked to headaches include vascular constriction, sinus congestion and muscle tension. Headaches may be generalized or be localized to a certain location. Chiropractic has been proven to be very effective for headaches that involve vascular flow or muscle tension.

Some of the specific types of headaches that respond well to chiropractic include migraines, tension headaches and cervicogenic headaches. Migraine headaches are thought to be caused by changes in vascular flow. By far, tension headaches are the most common and are associated with tight muscles in the neck or shoulders. Cervicogenic headaches are caused by referred pain from the neck or cervical spine.

Chiropractic is proven to be a safe and effective method to treat and prevent headaches. Many people have obtained relief of their headaches through chiropractic treatment. Studies show that chiropractic treatment is more effective than drug therapy and has more lasting effects. Chiropractic should be considered first for the treatment of headaches.