Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Headaches of the Tension Type Variety

At some stage, everyone will have a headache, whether it is from anxiety, insufficient slumber, hormonal related and sometimes even self-induced after having a lot of fun the night before! In fact, 9 out of 10 Americans suffer with head ache. For the most part, head ache are not indicative of a perilous underlying affliction, but they can be (...a topic for a time to come "Health Update"). The focus of this Health Update is to discuss the most common form of headache - the tension-type headache or, TTHA.


Tension-type headaches (TTHA) are defined by the Mayo Clinic as "a diffuse, light to average pain that is frequently described as feeling like a tight band all around your head." Ironically, although this is the most common type of headache, the causes of TTHA are perhaps not well comprehended. These are sometimes described as muscle contraction head ache but many pros no further believe muscle contractions would be the cause.


No matter the cause, the causes of tension headaches are well known and contain pressure, depression/anxiety, poor position, faulty awkward work station set up, jaw clenching and many others. Risk factors for TTHA include being a girl (studies show that nearly 90% of girl encounter tension headaches at some point in life) and being middle-aged (TTHA's appear to peak in our 40s, although TTHA's are perhaps not restricted to any one age group). Complications related to TTHA's may include job productivity decline, family and social interaction interruption, and relationship strain. The diagnosis is typically made by excluding other dangerous factors behind headaches and when all the test results return "normal," the diagnosis of TTHA is created.


Treatment using nonprescription medications are frequently successful so long as unwanted effects of gut irritation and/or liver and kidney problems don't arise. Using heat and/or cold is frequently helpful as some prefer one over the other. Switching between ice and warmth can be most powerful. Restraining anxiety by cutting out less significant responsibilities or "...taking on less" can aid. Meditation, yoga, biofeedback and relaxation treatment are also great! An "ergonomic" assessment of a workstation and the way it "fits" the headache patient also can yield great results. Chiropractic is an excellent choice compared to conventional medical care, especially when aspect effects to drugs exist. It is because manipulation of the cervical back addresses the cause of the headache and doesn't just attempt to "cover up" the hurting. Chiropractic treatment strategies include (partial listing): spinal manipulation, trigger-point therapy, mobilization methods, workout training, physical therapy modality use, nutritional and supplementation education / advice, life-style coaching and ergonomic appraisals.

chiropractor-poway.com
rodechiropractic.com
yelp.com/biz/rode-chiropractic-poway-2

No comments:

Post a Comment