Tension Type Headaches

Dr. Charles W. Armour Chiropractor Paola, KS

Dr. Charles Armour is a top chiropractor in Paola, KS. With a passion for the field and an unwavering commitment to his specialty, Dr. Charles Armour is an expert in changing the lives of his patients for the better. Through his designated cause and expertise in the field, Dr. Charles Armour is a prime example of a true... more

Tension type headaches typically occur later in the day, and most of the time show up as mild to moderate pain in the back of your head, then spread forward into a ‘tight band’ around your head, occasionally directly above or behind the eyes. They can occur infrequently (called ‘episodic’) or happen more than 15 days a month and last longer than a few hours or a day (‘chronic’ in nature.) They can also present as severe headache pain. Tension headaches are often related to muscle tension, spasms, and trigger points – in the neck, face or upper back. You may have additional symptoms as well; sensitivity to light, loud sounds and insomnia. Sometimes these other symptoms can make your tension headache present as a migraine and can be misdiagnosed. Tension headaches do not affect your strength, vision or balance.

Stress of any kind: These headaches can be caused by not drinking enough water (stress), poor posture (stress), work (stress), lack of quality sleep (stress), raising a family (stress), finances (stress), you or a loved one getting sick (stress), caring for additional family members as they age (stress), even during the (supposedly) stress free activity of taking a vacation.

Driving (stress) has become a highly stressful undertaking as well, with rush-hour slow-downs, road rage incidents, accidents and higher speed traffic in general. We are forced to have unblinking attention on the road ahead, the cars to either side and behind, how much gas we have left, how many miles to go, dogs and cats and deer wandering onto the roadways, oh, my!

You get the idea, stress of any kind (mental, physical, or emotional stress) can bring on a tension type headache.

Many things can help alleviate tension headache pain, including gentle chiropractic adjustments to the spine, including the neck and upper back. Chiropractic can also help with pain in the low back, hips, legs or arms too! If your body is in pain anywhere, these places that are ‘far away’ from the head may not be free of blame. Pain in ANY area of the body can induce stress and cause these types of headaches. Stress reduction, eating right, getting adequate sleep and a relaxation massage are good places to start, too.

For the occasional tension type headache, OTC pain medication may help take the edge off. However, determining the root cause of the headaches, especially if they are increasing in intensity or frequency should be of paramount importance.

Throwing medication at this type of headache, though perhaps effective temporarily, will not solve the issue. You may have stress inducing issues that will continue to push you away from homeostasis (that state of health where your body is operating as intended, can take care of stress, relax, and heal itself.) You may well continue to have symptoms until you make appropriate life-style changes: hydrate properly for your weight and working conditions, proper nutrition, less sitting in front of a computer and more moving, making time for adequate sleep, learning to meditate, etc.

Talk with your chiropractor and other healthcare providers and always consider the conservative care approach 1st. You may be surprised at the outcome. For more information, visit https://armourchiro.com