Headache Treatment in O'Fallon, MO

We utilize chiropractic adjustments, muscle release, and postural retraining to help our patients get headache relief in O'Fallon. Chiropractic adjustments and muscle release help relax the tension stored in the neck, and postural retraining creates healthier habits to prevent headaches from returning.

Headaches can come from major traumas such as whiplash, concussion, or sports injury. Headaches more commonly occur from chronic tension, muscular imbalances in the neck and upper back, and joint restriction of the neck. 

A tension headache is due to chronic tension and clenching from mental stress or poor posture. This can cause the muscles that attach at the back of the head to spasm and become inflamed. A cervicogenic headache is a headache that forms from misalignment of the joints of the neck or poor posture.

Tension headaches often feel like a tight band squeezing around your head, often on both sides, lasting from minutes to days. This may feel like a dull, aching pain or tenderness around your scalp or the base of your head. You may have sensitivity to light or sound, but nausea is rare.

Cervicogenic headaches start in your neck. They can be triggered by neck movement such as rotating, bending, or poor posture. These headaches often radiate to one side of your head, occasionally behind the eye or forehead. You may feel throbbing or aching and notice a lack of mobility in your neck.

Work: Headaches can make focusing on work difficult, and even more so if you have sensitivity to light or sound. Many work environments are loud or involve bright computer screens.

Carrying Groceries: Many headaches are due to poor posture, and carrying heavy grocery bags can exacerbate poor posture, pain, and discomfort. 

Household Chores: Many household chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, or yard work are tedious and can become unbearable with a throbbing headache that feels like it is pounding. 

Family Time: With a pounding headache, it can be challenging to play with your kids, help them with homework, sports, and even affect quality time with your spouse.

Goals for headache treatment are to reduce muscle spasm, improve mobility, and retrain posture.

Reduce muscle spasm: Many headaches are related to muscles that are in spasm. With targeted muscle release and soft tissue mobilization, we can reduce the muscle spasm.

Improve mobility: Headaches often involve a lack of mobility in the neck due to stiff joints and muscles. Adjustments and muscle release improve the mobility.

Retrain Posture: Poor posture can be retrained with certain exercises and stretches. This eliminates the source of many headaches.