If you suffer from headaches, there may be many different reasons why. Headaches are often a warning sign that there are problems somewhere else in the body.

At Broadway At Yew Chiropractic & Massage, we aim to locate the source of your headaches and treat the condition in a natural fashion. Before we discuss a chiropractic approach to headaches though, let’s first discuss the different types of headaches.

As mentioned, there are a few different types of headaches. Here’s a list of common one’s that our chiropractors treat regularly:

Depending on the type of headaches you suffer from, you may require the use of strong pain medications, rest, and reduced exposure to triggers such as bright light, certain smells, etc. However, some patients prefer a more natural approach to pain relief. The main goal of our Chiropractors is to diagnose and treat the root cause of tension headaches. At Broadway AT Yew Chiropractic & Massage, our chiropractors provide safe and effective treatment for conditions that are related to problems with muscles, tension, and nerves within the neck.

There are seven cervical vertebrae in the spine. One or more of these vertebrae can become misaligned due to injury, excessive physical force or exertion, and sometimes even from stress. This misalignment is known as a subluxation.

Once a subluxation occurs, an irritation of the nerve roots in the neck can sometimes cause a constriction in some of the blood vessels that supply the brain. Subluxation commonly results in a tension headache.

At Broadway AT Yew Chiropractic & Massage, as part of your diagnosis, our Chiropractors will perform a special examination that will include the following:

As well, X-rays and neurological tests may be ordered to confirm or rule out other conditions.These tests will assist with determining whether or not you will benefit from Chiropractic treatments for your tension headaches.

If we determine that you’re a good candidate for Chiropractic therapy, a treatment plan will be put together that will include a combination of in-office treatments, combined with special exercises that you can perform at home to maintain the results of treatment.

One of the main methods used by our Chiropractors to treat tension headaches is chiropractic adjustment and manipulation. There are two ways of performing this treatment:

1. Cervical Spinal Manipulation – a high-velocity low-amplitude adjustment technique.

2. Cervical Spinal Mobilization – a more gentle and less forceful adjustment technique.

Some patients report an immediate improvement in their tension headache pain after their first treatment. The reasoning behind this improvement is that once the tension within the neck and vertebrae has been relieved, the tension felt in a tension headache will also be relieved.

Also try to avoid bright light including sunlight when you first feel a headache coming on and try to reduce noise exposure. This will prevent the headache from worsening.

Further, one of our Vancouver chiropractors may also recommend a visit to one of our Registered Massage Therapists, who can continue to work on the muscles of your neck and back, and also teach you some methods of stress management and relaxation therapy that you can perform at home or on the go.

The following stretching exercises may be prescribed to work in tandem with your chiropractic treatments as a way of maintaining the benefits of your treatment: