Headaches affect everyone at some point and can present themselves in many different ways. You may experience pain in certain areas of your head and the pain itself may be dull, aching or sharp.  Although headaches have many causes such as reactions to drugs, TMJ, tightness of neck muscles, low blood sugar, high blood pressure, stress and fatigue, most recurrent headaches are one of two types: tension headaches (cervicogenic headaches) and migraine headaches.

Tension Headaches
The most common cause of tension headaches is subluxations in the upper back and neck, usually in combination with active trigger points.  Putting the bones of the spine back into proper alignment usually relieves pain in the head associated with this type of headache.  Trigger point therapy can relieve pain associated with trigger points in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

Migraine Headaches
About 25 million people in the United States suffer from migraine headaches every year.  These are intense, throbbing headaches that are usually associated with sensitivity to light, noise, or nausea.  Migraines are caused by a constriction of the blood vessels in the brain followed by dilation.  While the blood vessels are constricting there is a decrease in blood flow which may cause some of the “aura” symptoms that people who suffer from migraines experience.  During the dilation of the blood vessels there is a rapid increase in blood pressure in the head that results in the pounding headache.