Headaches

Headaches can manifest in several ways…

• pain and throbbing at the temples
• pain, pressure and throbbing behind the eyes
• pain or pressure in, behind or over the ears
• muffled hearing
• pressure and throbbing in the sinus cavity
• tightening of the scalp or neck

Common Types of Headaches

There are many different types of headaches. We can help you determine what kind you have, and provide appropriate treatment.

Tension headaches are very common and can be caused by emotional or physical stress, which leads to tension in the neck, shoulders and/or base of the skull. Many people describe these headaches as feeling like a “tight band” around the head. Tension headaches can be acute—that is, they come on quickly and last a short time—or chronic, where they last three days or longer after coming on quickly or developing over a longer period of time. Chronic tension headaches may be “episodic,” meaning they come and go frequently within a certain period of time; a patient may complain of “three tension headaches a week,” for example. This type of headache commonly comes on after a stressful day or at the end of a work day. Often, patients find relief for tension headaches with chiropractic adjustments, myofascial release and/or massage therapy. In addition, chiropractors may recommend ways to reduce physical, emotional or mental stress.

Migraine headaches feel like an intense throbbing or pulsing pain and can affect one or both sides of the head. Migraines can occur with or without an aura, which is described as visual disturbances such as flashes of light or blind spots in the vision. Some patients report nausea, light and/or sound sensitivity with a migraine. Migraine headaches usually happen more than once (a recurring headache) and last from four hours to three days. We may find that joints in your neck are causing or contributing to your migraine. If this is the case, chiropractic adjustments and working on the muscles of the head and neck can often reduce the intensity and duration of the migraine.

Cluster headaches are a type of headache that generally causes intense pain over or around one eye or one side of the head, and sometimes causes a runny nose or eyes. Unlike migraines, which often come on gradually, cluster headaches typically come on suddenly and often wake a person from sleep. They can last anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours, and it’s possible to have as many as eight in a single day! Cluster headaches come in a series, or cluster, over a period of weeks or months and are more common among men than women.

Sinus headaches are caused by pressure that builds up in the sinuses, often because of a cold, allergies or weather changes. There are chiropractic techniques for the sinuses, neck and skull that can help decrease sinus pressure. A chiropractor may detect an obstruction that has an impact on your sinuses. For example, sometimes when a neck vertebra is out of alignment, it may affect drainage from your sinuses. So before you reach for an over-the-counter sinus medication, talk to your chiropractor about how chiropractic adjustments help relieve sinus pressure naturally. Chiropractors may also provide nutritional counseling or recommend massage therapy.

Headaches can have many sources…

One very common source of headaches is the sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM), which arises off the sternum and the clavicle and has a large tendon attached to each, one on each side of the joint. The two tendons turn into a strap-like muscle that goes up to the base of the skull, the mastoid process, hence the name “sternocleidomastoid” muscle.

The Sternocleidomastoid Muscle (SCM)

The mastoid process is the big knobby bone at the base of the skull, underneath and behind the ear. The SCM attaches to the two bones in the top of chest and then sweeps up like a fan underneath the ear to the side of the skull. If the clavicle starts to separate from the sternum, the SCM will become rigid to keep it stable. Pain can then develop behind the ear and up the whole side of the head.

The Sternoclavicular Joint

When injured and subluxated (misaligned), it can also interfere with swallowing. The muscles that attach to the thyroid cartilage and the underside of the hyoid bone go to the inside and posterior back surface of the Sternoclavicular joint. These joints coming apart can actually make the throat muscles tighter than normal, interfering with their function in swallowing.

The Throat Muscles

A tightening of the SCM muscle will limit the range of motion of the head and neck. But this rigidity can have other consequences, because the SCM has in it the External Jugular Vein. The External Jugular Vein drains the superficial structures of the head and face; that is, the orbit of the eye, the nasal sinus, the inner ear and the scalp.

The External Jugular Vein

If this vein is compressed by a spasm of the SCM, there can be the sensation of throbbing and increased pressure in any or all of the areas drained by the External Jugular Vein. When the vein backs up and fills, it will be felt as throbbing or pressure behind the eye.This can also happen to the nasal sinus. When the veins of the nasal sinus become engorged, not only will they become clogged and not allow normal passage of air, but they can also start to drip because of their abnormal state of engorgement with fluid. The nasal sinus will start to drip onto the top of the soft palate over the roof of the mouth. This fluid will roll off the back edge of the soft palate onto the epiglottis, which is the top of the throat, resulting in a dry, unproductive and, in many cases, persistent cough.

In addition to the orbit of the eye and the nasal cavity, the External Jugular Vein drains the inner ear. If the vein is compressed within a rigid SCM, the area of the inner ear will become filled and results are muffled or reduced hearing and possibly some vertigo or balance problems. On inspection of the ear it will appear that there is fluid within the inner ear. Often it is assumed that there is an infection, and an antibiotic is prescribed. I believe it is inappropriate, not to mention irresponsible, to prescribe antibiotics without taking a culture and identifying a specific organism. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the development of resistant strains of bacteria.

Tension headaches are sometimes caused by the SCM itself. The muscle attaches across the side of the head (see illustrations), where the Sharpey’s Fibers insert into the skull.

The Sharpey’s Fibers can become inflamed and irritated when the area is thrown into a guarding response, exerting a constant tension to hold the clavicle to the sternum. The vascular network of arterioles (the small arteries) and capillaries (microscopic blood vessels), can also become compromised with this constant tension. The resultant reduced blood flow reduces the amount of oxygen supplied to the muscular tissues along the side of the head and scalp, which can produce a pain pattern in itself. Lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, has been known to be a painful condition causing burning and aching sensations.

So, all of the headache symptoms above can be set off by an injury to the top of the chest, the Sternoclavicular joint. This can be caused by commonplace events such as:

• a seat belt straining across the clavicle
• a fall
• yanking on something that will not move, like a door that is stuck
• rough-housing with a three year-old
• being pulled off balance by a dog

Such an event can result, even weeks or months later, in constant, persistent head pain. These are all common events. Few people ever look to the top of the chest as a source of pain for the head

Upper Cervical Vertebra and Suboccipital Muscles

Finally, the misalignment (subluxation) of the upper cervical spine is another common source of headaches. Quite a few of the muscular structures that attach to the vertebrae also attach to the head. The same phenomenon we discussed above, of muscles attached at one joint causing pain at another part of the body, can occur here. In this case the suboccipital muscles, which attach at one end to the vertebrae, can become very painful at their other end where they attach to the base of the skull.

When a misalignment or subluxation pattern of the upper cervical vertebrae take place, the suboccipital muscles will reflexively tighten to protect the vital structures of the region. This rigidity can also be a source of pain in itself and can again compromise the arteriole structures and venous structures. Muscular guarding, which is the body’s attempt to hold everything inflexibly in order to keep it from going any further out of place, is an appropriate defensive response but can cause constant, unrelenting pain, not relieved by either rest or medications.

Another common cause for headaches that many of us don’t think about right away is chemical exposure. Chemical exposure may come from certain foods we eat, medicines and supplements we take and chemicals in our everyday environment (household cleaners, skin care products, air pollution). Many people have headaches caused by sugar, food additives, medicines etc. Your chiropractor can help you figure out what “chemicals” you’re around every day that might be causing or contributing to your headaches.

Research supports that chiropractic treatment can be an effective treatment option for headache pain. If you suffer from frequent headaches, schedule an appointment today.