Neck Pains, Headaches, and Migraine: A Quick Guide

You’re sitting down to dinner, chewing your food, and suddenly, something hits you. Like an anvil. Or a boulder. Or maybe it’s just a mild headache or neck pain—but it feels like something else entirely. Whatever it is, this kind of pain can be incredibly bothersome and often goes away by itself unless you have some underlying medical condition that causes similar symptoms. But what causes these kinds of headaches?

This article will cover some common culprits for headaches and how you can handle them naturally. Read on to learn how to achieve headaches and migraine relief in Eagan!

How Are Headaches, Neck Pains, and Migraines Connected?

Headaches, neck pains, and migraines are all connected. Studies found that they potentially stem from cervical subluxation – a postural problem that affects the neck, head, and nearby structures like the brainstem, nerve roots, and cervical spine muscles.

These structures work closely with each other. Hence, if you have poor posture, neck trauma, or do repetitive movements like those involved in typing or working on the computer for countless hours a day, you should expect the following consequences:

Poor blood flow to the brain
Tensed neck muscles
Compressed brainstem tissue
Rapid firing of pain signals
Increased pressure in the head due to insufficient fluid drainage

When combined, these issues can lead to recurring headaches, neck pain, and migraine attacks. Left unresolved, they can lead to problems that can deter you from enjoying your life.

Headache and Migraine Causes and Symptoms

Headaches and migraines have a lot of similarities and can stem from numerous things, including stress, poor posture, and poor diet. One example of their similarity is their origins: vascular or neurological problems in the brain.

Their main difference is the characteristic of the pain they cause. Migraines mainly cause unilateral throbbing or pulsating pain. On the one hand, headaches can affect various parts of the head, including the temples, face, and sinuses.

Migraines are also more complex, so instead of just causing aching in your head, they can also set off other symptoms, including:

Vertigo attacks
Nausea and vomiting
Irritable bowel syndrome
Visual and sensory aura
Pins and needles sensation
Difficulty speaking
Neck pain

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and migraine, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

Neck Pain Causes and Symptoms

Neck pain is a usual health concern that can stem from various factors. It’s essential to understand what causes your neck pain so you can identify the source and pick a suitable remedy.

Sometimes it develops because of strain or sprain, or repetitive stress. Additionally, it can develop because of minor injuries like whiplash from an accident. These can cause long-term problems with headaches, neck pain, and muscle spasms in other areas of the body, such as shoulders and arms (thoracic outlet syndrome).

These types of injuries and damages require the assistance of a doctor rather than simply resting at home until symptoms disappear on their own, which could take months. A visit to a physician or a chiropractic doctor will help determine how to care for your body.

Characteristics of Headaches, Neck pains, and Migraines

Headaches, neck pains, and migraines are all connected. They all operate around the same area of the upper cervical spine. Additionally, they all happen when you experience pain in your head or neck. These can set off a throbbing or sharp pain that travels from one part of the body to another as it may radiate down both arms and then travel back up through your forehead before settling somewhere else on your head.

Forms of Headaches and Migraine Relief in Eagan

Listed are some of the common sources of neck pain, headaches and migraine relief in Eagan, Minnesota:

Exercise

Exercise can help you relieve pain and feel better physically. It can also help you eliminate the pressure on your cervical spine, so your muscles relax. Additionally, exercising can limit risks for health mishaps that contribute to neck pain, headaches, and migraines, such as obesity and blood pressure fluctuation.

Medication

Some examples of common medications for headaches, migraines, and neck pains include acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen sodium (Aleve), or ibuprofen combination drugs (Celebrex or Vioxx).

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

If you’re experiencing headaches, neck pains, and migraines, upper cervical chiropractic care can help alleviate these symptoms. Chiropractic doctors who focus on the upper cervical spine provide careful adjustments to the C1 and C2 bones. This helps improve your overall health by relieving pain or stiffness in the spine.

Upper cervical chiropractic care may also benefit those patients with chronic headaches who have tried other treatments without success. This is because spinal adjustments can reduce tension in your neck muscles and improve circulation throughout your body.

By improving blood flow through these areas, upper cervical chiropractic care may help make it easier for you to breathe normally while reducing pressure on nerves in your head and neck that cause pain and discomfort.

Cornerstone Family Chiropractic: Your Source of Headache and Migraine Relief

Regardless of the location or cause of your headache and pain, upper cervical chiropractic can help! Upper cervical chiropractors can help you achieve significant headaches and migraine relief in Eagan, Minnesota. Chiropractic doctors like Dr. Fellows use precise and carefully applied spinal adjustments and other helpful techniques to restore your cervical spine alignment.

If you need serious help from headaches, neck pain, or migraines and want to find long-term relief for your condition, Dr. Kristin Fellows of Cornerstone Family Chiropractic is here to help. She can help you figure out how far your neck bones have shifted so you can receive helpful chiropractic adjustments. To learn more about our office, call us today at (651) 209-9710 or fill out our online consultation form.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Fellows, call our Eagan office at (651) 209-9710. You can also click the button below.