Headaches Treatment in Portland, OR
Headaches / Migraine Specialist
Headaches are the commonest ailment experienced by people globally. It is experienced as a pain arising from the head or upper neck of the body. Headaches can occur due to many reasons and they might be different for every person, hence need different treatment. Frequent headaches can be a nuisance and affect the quality of life. It is vital to know the cause behind it to get the proper treatment.
Headache pain is extremely common, afflicting nine out of 10 Americans at some point. While headaches have a number of triggers, including environmental causes and behaviors, they often occur because of muscle tension in the neck. If you experience regular headaches, consult Dr. Phil McCary at Laurelhurst Chiropractic. Dr. Phil is the best chiropractor in Portland for diagnosing the root cause of your headache pain and offers therapies to resolve it. Call the office or use the online booking tool to make an appointment today.
Symptoms of headaches
Headache is defined as the pain which arises from the head or temporal region, radiating to the upper neck of the body. The pain can be a chronic dull ache, sharp, throbbing, constant, intermittent, mild, or intense. Additionally, you may experience pain behind one eyeball or pain in the temples and behind the ears. It may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting (as in migraine) hallucinations, depression, or irritation. There may also be sensitivity to light and/or sound, the temporary loss of vision.
Causes of headaches
Headaches can be caused by various reasons. It may be due to emotional factors, such as stress, depression, or anxiety, medical cause, such as migraine or high blood pressure, or environmental, such as the weather. Headaches may be classified as:
Primary Headaches: These do not indicate any underlying disease but rather arise due to a problem in the head-neck areas. They include migraine, tension, and cluster headaches, other less common types of headaches.
Secondary headaches are a symptom and occur as a result of an underlying disease. This includes Sinusitis, headache due to radiating dental pain, lack of sleep, an incorrect eyeglass prescription, stress, loud noise, exposure, meningitis encephalitis, etc.
Long-Term Problems Due To Untreated Headaches
Headaches can be more complicated than you think. Whether primary or secondary, they indicate a problem either in the head and neck region or due to an underlying disease. Frequent headaches not only disrupt day-to-day activities but can affect the quality of life. So it is important to identify the cause of the headache and treat the reason without neglecting it for long.
Temporary pain relief for headaches
Most people treat themselves with over-the-counter analgesics to reduce the intensity of their pain. Painkillers like aspirin, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol, Panadol) and naproxen work well for headaches. But these work only for 7 to 8 hours and once their effect wears off the headache may resume if the underlying cause is not addressed. Recurrent and persistent headaches are signs of serious systemic disease and you must seek medical attention for the same.
Headaches Treatment
You will be recommended a treatment plan according to the type of headache you experience and the underlying causes responsible for the symptoms. Treatment of headaches in Portland can be:
- Prescription medications to relieve symptoms, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
- preventive medication for specific conditions, such as migraine
- other treatments for underlying conditions
If the symptoms don’t subside with medications, other treatment options may be recommended such as:
- Acupuncture: alternative therapy to alleviate stress and tension by application of fine needles to specific areas of your body
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: a type of talk therapy that guides you to recognize situations that make you feel stressed and anxious
- Herbal and nutritional health products
- Hypnosis and meditation can improve wellness.
- Chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment can help relieve headaches, especially ones arising due to head and neck problems
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Biofeedback is a relaxation technique for pain management
How Laurelhurst Chiropractic Can Help In Headache Treatment
Laurelhurst Chiropractic is the top chiropractic clinic in Portland for headache treatments. Dr. Phil McCary and Dr. Danielle McCary are highly rated chiropractors in Portland and specialize in treating headaches. They have been practicing for over 10 years in Portland.
Laurelhurst Chiropractic serves the following cities:
- Oregon City
- Lake Oswego
- West Linn
- Beaverton
- Clackamas
- Tigard
- Tualatin
- Milwaukie
Call us today if you are experiencing headaches in Portland.
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How do we treat headaches?
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Frequently asked questions
Are Portland Chiropractors good for Headache?
Chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment can help relieve headaches, especially ones arising due to head and neck problems and tension-type headaches. Portland chiropractors are trained and skilled to identify the causes and suggest the relevant treatment plan.
Can headaches turn into migraines?
Headache is one of the signs of a migraine, in which a person has intense, throbbing headaches for hours to days. It may be accompanied by feelings of nausea, vomiting, light flashes, hallucinations, Sensitivity to light, and/or sound.
Temporary vision loss, etc.
How long should a headache last?
A headache can typically last from a few hours to a few days or weeks, depending on the causative factors. Regular tension-type headaches or headaches arising from stress may subside by themselves, migraine headaches may continue for hours to days, and headaches due to serious underlying problems may linger for longer.
When should you worry about a headache?
Regular tension-type headaches or headaches arising from stress may subside by themselves or with OC painkillers. But if headaches still persist in spite of taking painkillers or are accompanied by fever, slurring of speech, weakness in arms or legs, facial numbness, convulsions, dizziness, or confusion, you may want to seek medical advice.
What triggers a headache?
Headaches vary in intensity and frequency. In about 5% of cases, a headache is a symptom of a reaction to a trigger, such as noise, light, stress, poor sleep, blood sugar changes, or dietary triggers. The other 95% of headaches are primary, meaning they occur independently of outside triggers. These include tension, migraine, and cluster headaches.
Primary headaches often occur due to muscle tension or other mechanical issues in the neck. This tension may occur because of poor posture and how you hold yourself when seated, standing, or exercising.
How can I prevent headaches?
Dr. McCary suggests lifestyle measures to help reduce headache pain. These include avoiding prolonged periods in a strained position, such as sitting at a computer or hunching over a sewing machine. Regular physical activity can alleviate tension, as can proper hydration and dietary changes.
Regular chiropractic care can help relieve mechanical and tension problems causing your headache pain.
How can a chiropractor help resolve chronic headaches?
If lifestyle changes don’t resolve your pain, you may benefit from chiropractic care that releases soft-tissue tension and realigns vertebrae. When your body is out of alignment, it increases joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back, and scalp — all causing your head to ache.
Dr. McCary can identify vertebral misalignments and use gentle spinal manipulation to bring them back into the proper space. When the bones in your neck aren’t supporting your head properly, it can affect nerves, muscles, and even the blood supply to your head. Dr. McCary may also offer decompression therapy and soft-tissue manipulation to alleviate your pain.
Chiropractic care relieves associated pressure on nerves and soft tissue that’s contributing to your pain. Supplemental therapies, including massage and acupuncture, can further reduce tension and stiffness that may be contributing to your headache symptoms.
Can chiropractic care relieve migraines?
Research shows that chiropractic treatment is an effective way to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Chiropractic care also helps wean you off of drug therapy treatment for migraines.
Migraines can be the result of small subluxations, or misalignments in your spine — causing your nerves and muscles to become inflamed and irritated. Chiropractic manipulations reset these misalignments and put your vertebrae where they should be so you have fewer, or no, incidents of migraines.