Headaches 101: Exploring the Types, Causes and Headache Treatments

Chronic headaches can be debilitating for those who suffer from them. Throbbing pain in any area of the head makes it difficult to focus and simple tasks become difficult ones.

If you or someone you know suffers from chronic headaches and are looking for answers, you’re in the right place.

In this blog, we’ll cover everything you need to know about headaches including the different types of headaches, what causes headaches, and finally, headache treatments you can seek.

First, let’s begin with what actually causes headaches to occur.

Causes of a Headache

The causes of a headache vary greatly. Anything from a simple cold or toothache can cause a headache. Or it could be something more serious like a brain tumor or meningitis. By far, headaches are one of the most common reasons why people go to the doctor. According to The American Journal of Managed Care, nearly 1 in 6 Americans suffer from either episodic migraines or severe headaches every three months.

A headache is your body’s way of telling you something is wrong. Help! Thankfully, at Intouch Chiropractic in San Diego, we have answers for patients that are tired of taking medications just to be able to get to work or drop off their kids at school. Plus, taking pain killers requires increased doses to have the same desired effect over time. This a lose-lose situation.

It’s not uncommon for us to meet patients for the first time and hear that they take over-the-counter painkillers daily. Honestly, that’s horrible. Painkillers are not designed to be taken on a daily basis. We don’t blame these patients, they simply don’t know what else to do to get headache relief. Unfortunately, this relief never lasts and is only temporary. It’s like putting a band-aid on a check engine light.

Fortunately, 95% of headaches are not life threatening and are considered benign. The majority of headaches are classified as tension headaches. The second most common is a sinus headache.

In the next, let’s cover the main types of headaches before ending with treatment options for people who suffer from chronic painful headaches.

San Diego Chiropractor Dr. Devin Young performs adjustments for headache treatment on a patient

The 6 Main Types of Headaches

Quickly, let’s give some detail to each of the main headache types. After this list, we’ll go into more detail on three of the more common headache types.

1. Tension Headaches: These are the most common type of headaches. They often feel like a tight band around your head and are caused by stress, poor posture, or muscle tension.
2. Migraines: Migraines are more severe and often come with throbbing pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. They can last for hours or even days. If you are suffering from this headache type, learn how the Intouch Chiropractic team treats migraines.
3. Cluster Headaches: Cluster headaches are rare but extremely painful. They come in clusters, meaning you get several headaches in a short period of time, followed by headache-free periods.
4. Sinus Headaches: These are caused by sinus infections or allergies and often come with facial pain and pressure around the sinuses.
5. Rebound Headaches: Sometimes, overusing pain medications can lead to rebound headaches, which occur when the medication wears off.
6. Hormone-related Headaches: These are linked to hormonal changes, often occurring in women during their menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause.

Now, let’s go into more detail on three of these types including tension headaches, sinus headaches and cluster headaches.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are usually caused by muscle contractions in your head, neck and shoulder muscles. They are one of the most common headaches experienced by adults and are often caused by “emotional stress” that leads to stiffness in your muscles and joints. They are also known as stress headaches.

There are 2 types of tension headaches. Episodic tension headaches happen less than 15 days per month, while chronic tension headaches happen more than 15 days per month. Although these headaches are common, they are not normal. That is way too many headaches!

The most common symptoms for tension headaches are:

• A headache that starts later in the day
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Feeling very tired
• Trouble focusing
• Achy muscles

These headaches typically begin slowly and increase gradually in intensity in the middle of the day. You feel like you have a tight band squeezing your head with a continuous dull ache on both sides, and pain that wraps around to your neck or from your neck.

These types of headaches, if not properly treated, can lead to a vicious circle of more muscular tension leading to more intense headaches making it difficult to get tension headache relief.

At our San Diego office, we regularly treat people who suffer from tension type headaches. Chiropractic adjustments help alleviate tension headaches by restoring proper alignment of your spine and at the same time releasing the built-up tension in your muscles.

Sinus Headaches

Your sinuses are air-filled spaces inside of your cheekbones, under the the bridge of your nose, and your forehead. When your sinuses get irritated, they make more mucus, swell and get stuffed up. This build-up of pressure causes head pain.

It’s important to differentiate between sinus headaches and migraines, as they have several similarities:

1. Both have moderate to severe headache as a symptom.
2. Changes in weather can trigger both conditions.
3. Facial pressure can present with both migraines and sinus headaches.

Because of the location of the sinuses, pain below or above the eyes is a tale-tell sign of a sinus headache. Unless you have an active sinus infection, we don’t recommend taking antibiotics. Especially because many sinus headaches are actually migraines that have been misdiagnosed.

Proper diagnosis ensures that you get sinus headache relief. Excessive use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance and digestive issues. Keep in mind that other migraine symptoms are clear nasal drainage, nausea, visual disturbances, and sensory sensitivity.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches get their name from the cyclical pattern in which they happen. It’s very common for patients to say that the pain wakes them up in the middle of the night, with severe pain near one eye or one side of their head. Cluster periods can last from weeks to several months. A period of remission lasting months to years usually follows.

The good news is that cluster headaches are rare and typically not life-threatening. Unlike migraine patients, people with cluster headaches feel restless and will pace back and forth. If light sensitivity or sound sensitivity is felt, it is typically only experienced on one side of the face. A single episode can last from 15 minutes to several hours, and often happen at the same time of day. Once the cluster headache clears, patients are pain-free but feel worn out.

Now that we’ve covered the main types of headaches, let’s wrap up this Headache 101 blog post with information on headache treatment.

How to Treat Chronic Headaches

Taking aspirin for a headache is common, but it merely masks the pain. The pain does not go away! It is still there, you just don’t feel it because the pain messages are being blocked. Sometimes taking medication is inevitable, but it’s not a long term solution. Our doctors provide headache relief for many types of headaches, such as tension headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches and more.

First, let’s discuss when emergency care for headache disorders is recommended.

When to Seek Emergency Care for Headaches

We recommend you seek emergency care if you experience any of these signs and symptoms:

• A severe, abrupt headache, often like a thunderclap
• A headache with fever, vomiting or nausea, mental confusion, seizures, numbness, or difficulty speaking
• A headache after an injury to the head, even if you consider it to be a minor injury, and especially if it worsens
• A sudden and severe headache, described as the worse headache of your life
• A headache that changes in pattern and worsens over days

Headache pain, even when intense , typically isn’t due to disease. However, it’s important to see your doctor if your headaches suddenly feel different. Rare but severe conditions, such as brain tumors and meningitis, need to be ruled out.

Now, for those who are suffering from headaches that don’t require emergency care, here are treatment options that don’t involve taking pain killers or other medications.

NUCCA Spinal Care Provides Headache Relief

NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association) is an upper cervical chiropractic technique that does not require any popping, cracking or twisting of your neck or spine. Patients love that it is a low force technique. The amount of pressure used during the adjustment is the same amount of pressure used to take your pulse. It feels like a gentle touch behind your ear.

The upper neck is adjusted only when needed, with the ultimate goal of not needing an adjustment at all. We call this “holding” your adjustment. Many of our patients come in, get checked, and walk out without needing an adjustment. Our ultimate goal is for your body to get stronger over time, and need less intervention from our doctors.

When atlas, the first bone in the neck, is misaligned it can put mechanical pressure on spinal nerves and blood vessels. An atlas misalignment can cause muscle spasms and inflammation to the head and neck. This can make a patient more likely to suffer from chronic headaches. Poor posture, text neck, poor ergonomics and even dehydration can all contribute to the frequency of headaches. The NUCCA care for headaches you receive in our office is based on analysis of your unique x-rays.

How Upper Cervical Care Helps the Different Headache Types

Here is how NUCCA care helps treat the different headache types we discussed earlier.

1. Tension Headaches: Misalignments in the upper neck can contribute to muscle tension and poor posture, leading to tension headaches. Upper cervical adjustments can correct these misalignments, relieving tension and reducing the frequency and severity of these headaches.
2. Migraines: Migraines are often linked to nerve irritation or inflammation. Upper cervical care can help by reducing the pressure on nerves caused by misalignments, potentially decreasing the frequency and intensity of migraines.
3. Cluster Headaches: While the exact cause of cluster headaches is still not fully understood, upper cervical adjustments can improve overall nerve function, potentially helping to reduce the frequency and severity of these intense headaches.
4. Sinus Headaches: Misalignments in the upper neck can affect blood flow and drainage in the sinuses, leading to sinus headaches. Upper cervical care can help improve blood flow and drainage, reducing sinus-related headaches.
5. Rebound Headaches: Overuse of pain medications can lead to rebound headaches. Upper cervical care focuses on addressing the root cause of headaches rather than masking the pain with medications, helping to break the cycle of rebound headaches.
6. Hormone-related Headaches: Hormonal changes can cause headaches. NUCCA adjustments can help maintain proper body alignment improving overall body function.

Benefits of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Upper cervical chiropractic care offers several potential benefits for patients suffering from headaches, particularly those related to misalignments in the upper neck. Here are some of the key benefits:

• Non-Invasive Treatment: Upper cervical care is gentle and doesn’t involve surgery or medication, making it a safe and non-invasive option for headache relief.
• Customized Adjustments: Each person’s upper cervical misalignment is unique, so treatment plans are tailored to each patient’s needs.
• Long-lasting Relief: By addressing the underlying cause of headaches, upper cervical care aims to provide long-lasting relief, reducing the need for frequent medication.
• Improved Quality of Life: Fewer headaches mean improved overall quality of life, allowing you to enjoy your daily activities without the constant worry of pain.

Learn more about NUCCA chiropractic care with Intouch Chiropractic.

“I’ve been going to Intouch Chiropractic for a better part of this last year, and after 10 years of different conventional Chriropractor treatments, my migraines went away completely within 2 weeks of NUCCA treatment. I’d been suffering for migraines for 17 years and have tried everything. Im thankful for more pain free days, it was a great upfront investment but when you’re in chronic pain 4-5 days a week, you’ll pay almost anything to try to get better. I’m glad I chose this office.” – Intouch Chiropractic Migraine Treatment Review by Emilia F.

Headache 101 in Review

In review, headache disorders can feel debilitating, however there is help! Regardless of the headache type you are suffering from, a non-invasive treatment option like NUCCA care is worth exploring. If you are in the San Diego area and eager to begin a treatment plan for your headaches, schedule a consultation with our office today.