Can Chiropractic Care Get Rid of Headaches?

Chances are, you or someone you know have fallen victim to a headache in the past year. If you have, you’re not alone – nearly 50 percent of the population reports having experienced at least one headache every year, many of whom deal with dozens and dozens more. If you’ve ever experienced a headache you know how distracting and debilitating they can be. With that in mind, finding ways to treat these painful nuisances can help improve life for millions of people. Different approaches apply to different types of headaches, namely migraines, cluster headaches and headaches caused by an overuse of medication.

For the vast majority of people who suffer from headaches, tension headaches (often described as stress headaches), are the main culprits. As the Cleveland Clinic describes, tension headaches can be identified by the mild-to-moderate pain they produce, pain that spreads across the entire head.

In an effort to treat the headaches affecting the most people, researchers often focus their efforts on conducting studies that can help provide relief to that large segment of the population. In February of 2016, the European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine featured research aimed at figuring out if chiropractic care could provide relief to the common symptoms of tension headaches.

What researchers found was evidence that chiropractic care did indeed help improve the lives of those who deal with head pain on a regular basis. Sixty-two women suffering from tension headaches between the ages of 18 and 65 were chosen for the study. These women were assigned to one of four groups. One group was subject to chiropractic care, two involved other treatment options and the last served as a control.

Researchers decided that the women who received spinal care benefited significantly when compared to the control groups after a month of treatment. This relief included “improvements in their physical role, bodily pain, and social functioning.” Put simply, not only did chiropractic care help alleviate some head pain, it also improved other facets of daily life.

So, if you find yourself clutching at your head in pain, learning to deal with the constant stress-induced headaches plaguing so many people, chiropractic treatment may be a viable, effective and natural way to improve your daily life.