What’s Causing that Pain in Your Head?

It’s back again ~ that all too familiar throbbing pain in your head. Do you know what actually causes your headaches?

Neck Pain

The pain you feel when you have a headache is not located in your brain, even though it feels that way. The pain is actually sensed by nerve endings located in your head and neck. Many types of events, inside and outside of your body, serve as “triggers” that can bring on a headache. Knowing what most often triggers your headaches can help you avoid them.

The most common triggers are emotional (stress, anger, anxiety), food-related (processed foods such as cold cuts, alcohol, nuts, and dairy products), hormonal (birth control pills, menstruation, menopause), environmental (noise, air travel, changes in temperature/humidity), or physiological (illness, skipping a meal, overtiredness).

A study, conducted by Dr. Eisenberg at Harvard University, reported that chiropractors are the most common alternative health provider consulted for headache pain. Chiropractors are trained to locate and correct misalignments in the vertebrae in the upper spine and neck. These misalignments put pressure on adjacent nerves ~ pressure that can cause your headaches.

So, instead of reaching for the headaches pills the next time you feel a headache coming on, call our office and have your spine checked instead!

Dr. Bowman Asks some important questions of interest to West Des Moines residents - Chiropractor West Des Moines Dr. Bowman Asks...

Can chiropractic cure a child's ear infections?
Chiropractic isn't a cure for anything. Nor is it a treatment for ear infections. However, many children who suffer with ear infections also suffer from spinal problems in their neck, compromising nerves to the ear, depressing the immune system and preventing proper drainage. Can chiropractic help? Find out!
If you have a fever, are you sick or healthy?
Chiropractors love asking this question because it gets to the root of the chiropractic difference. Turns out fevers, vomiting, coughing and even sneezing are all healthy responses. It means your body is working correctly. Taking medications to suppress these natural processes can actually prolong your recovery.