You want to see what’s causing those headaches!
One of the things that you can do is press on the back of your neck – right at the base of the skull, down into the upper back and into the traps. If you press back in there and you feel tension, stiffness, soreness, tightness, there’s a good chance that the headaches that you’re dealing with may be coming from your upper back or neck.
You want to rule out whether it’s a muscle issue or whether it’s a nerve, a neurological issue.
So if you’re pressing on the back of your neck and that pressure actually sort of re-creates the headache or makes things feel worse or more uncomfortable, then there is a good possibility that the headache is coming from the nerves from your neck.
If you press on those muscles and the pain or discomfort actually goes away and the headache goes away and it doesn’t come back, well then, that tells you that it’s muscle.
But if it is neurological, the headache doesn’t go away. The best thing you can do is come into our office or find a chiropractor that will do a motion study x-ray (film) for you. Then, we can actually see where the pressure on the nerves and nervous system is coming from in your neck. Then, based on that specifically, we can actually get in there and correct the cause of the problem so that you don’t have to deal with the headaches anymore.
Other tips for headache relief:
Make sure that you sit up straight – especially if you’re sitting in front of a desk. Sit up nice and tall! We actually recommend a vestibular disc or proprioceptive disc for people that are sitting.
Get exercise. We recommend a high-intensity interval training workout. We actually do this in our office every other Tuesday if you are interested in joining us. You want to get in some regular exercise pattern or routine where you are oxygenating the system and getting the blood flowing.
Getting plenty of rest. But, not too much and also not too little.
Keep properly hydrated. This is very important and can relieve headaches derived from being dehydrated.
Dr. Matthew Phinney has a genuine concern for the community’s health and well-being and is dedicated to helping people achieve their health and wellness objectives. Patients seeking his treatment can be assured that they are receiving the highest quality care! Dr. Matthew Phinney of The Chiropractic Doctors can be reached at (616) 432-3103 and is located at 5747 28th St. SE, Suite 101, Grand Rapids, MI 49546.