Each year, more Canadians complain about headaches than any other health condition.  That’s even more than those who experience back pain. Unfortunately, the most popular treatment for these headaches is over-the-counter pain relievers or prescription medication.  You may be wondering if there is a way to treat headaches without drugs.

Although some of these medications may be effective in temporarily relieving the symptoms, they are often unsuccessful at removing the root problem.

There is some good news when it comes to headaches.  Chiropractic treatment is a highly sought-after alternative treatment for the debilitating effects associated with headaches.

How does chiropractic care help to alleviate headaches?

Chiropractic care can help alleviate the symptoms of tension and migraine headaches.  It does this by improving and restoring normal postural patterns.

Chiropractic treatment is aimed at normalizing muscle tension, restoring joint range of motion, and stabilizing the body. Optimizing postural control of the head and neck reduces the workload your muscles must apply just to keep your head up during the day. Proper spinal alignment and muscle control helps give the body a fighting chance of avoiding a tension headache.

Proper breathing is essential to relaxation, blood flow, and oxygen supply to the brain and body. Abnormal posture can decrease lung capacity.  And abnormal posture is easy to get.  It includes rounded shoulders, holding your neck forward over the shoulders, and slouched positions.  It also includes tightness in the hips, which is common in people who sit all day.  This decreased lung capacity alters how much you breathe, how often, and from where. Chiropractic restores function to the spine, ribs, and hips to maximize breathing and good postural control. Better breathing equals better health.

So next time you’re suffering from a headache, try reaching out to your chiropractor instead of the pill bottle in your medicine cabinet. Not only will we help you remove your pain, but we will provide you with ways to prevent the pain from returning (and we don’t come with an array of side-effects). Together, we will determine the likely triggers for your headaches.

We can treat headaches without drugs!  We will help you make subtle changes in your activities of daily living and empower you to take back control of your life.