Headaches are horrible. Whether you suffer from headaches on a chronic or infrequent basis they can be debilitating and prevent you from enjoying your normal activities. Despite this, many individuals “live” with it.
As a healthcare professional I find it astounding how far we’ve come with diagnosing headaches – there are a ridiculous number of subtypes of headaches (212 if I counted correctly) within the main headache groups (14 classifications). This article with briefly discuss the more common headaches that an individual will present with at Haptic Health and Chiropractic. Check back for articles on each of the headache types.
Migraines
The most typical types of migraines include migraines without aura, migraines with aura, and chronic migraines. The most recent Global Burden of Disease Study found migraines to be the 7th leading cause of disability worldwide.
Tension-Type Headaches
According to the International Headache Society, at any given point in time anywhere from 30-78% of the general population will have a tension-type headache (1) – this creates a huge socioeconomic burden on our society. The most common subtypes include infrequent episodic, frequent episodic, and chronic tension type headaches.
Mixed Type Headache
Headaches don’t always present in gift wrapped package meeting the diagnostic guidelines perfectly. Sometimes they will meet some criteria of a migraine and some criteria of a tension type headache – these cases would be classified under the “probable” subgrouping. It is also possible for an individual to have overlapping headaches.
Cervicogenic Headache
There is another headache that is becoming increasingly diagnosed. The cervicogenic headache is considered a secondary headache as the pain is caused by structures at the neck (ie. joints, muscles). There is overlap with this headache and the two primary headaches listed above. New and ongoing research continues to delve into this headache subtype and it’s prevalence in our society.
Manual Therapy
At Haptic Health and Chiropractic we can assess headaches, diagnose, and determine effective treatment for headaches, and refer to other health professionals when necessary. If your headache is determined to be treatable with manual therapy, treatment can range from working on tight muscles, restoring movement to the joints in your neck, strengthening and endurance rehab exercises, and education on postural and ergonomic factors.
Acupucnture
Our chiropractor is trained in medical acupuncture which has been shown to reduce the frequency of both migraine and tension-type headaches! Check out the linked articles for more information.
You are always in charge of your own health – if there is a manual therapy that you find works well for you or even one that you don’t want to receive, let us know! Our goal is to restore your optimum physical function so that you can carry on with what’s important to you. We are located in Sharon but provide services to York Region and the towns of East Gwillimbury, Newmarket, Georgina, Aurora, and Bradford.
Resources
- The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd Edition
- Global Burden of Disease Study 2015