Headache
Do you suffer from headaches, or do you know someone who does? If so, know that you’re not alone. The head is the most common site of pain in the body. Headaches can range from mild pain that comes and goes to constant, intense pain so severe that you have to crawl into bed with a bucket in case you need to vomit!
A headache, just like any other pain in your body, is a sign that something isn't quite right. Your brain creates pain when it thinks something is wrong or when it senses a potential problem.
For example, your brain gives you a headache if you’ve taken too much medication—to let you know that chemical toxicity is occurring! And some headaches are a warning sign of a life-threatening illness. But for most people, headaches aren’t a sign of a life-threatening illness; rather, they’re the result of lifestyle and daily habits.
We now know from extensive neuroscientific research that when your spine isn’t moving properly, it alters the way your brain perceives what is happening in and around your body, the way it integrates other sensory information, and the way it controls your body. (1-3)
The movement of your spine is very important for your brain to know where you are in space, and because you can't see your spine with your eyes, your brain relies on the information it receives from the small muscles located closest to your spine and skull.
“Studies suggest that chiropractic care can help people who suffer from various types of headaches.”
If the segments of your spine aren’t moving properly—what chiropractors call a subluxation—this can manifest as headaches in some people. Others may experience back pain. Research has shown that when a chiropractor gently adjusts these subluxations, it helps the brain “see” more accurately what is happening in and around the body.
So if your chiropractor adjusts you and your spinal dysfunction was manifesting as headaches, that can improve. If your spinal dysfunction was manifesting as back pain, that can improve. If it was manifesting as colic or bedwetting, those symptoms can improve, and so on, and so on.
Chiropractic care can help
But what does the research say about chiropractic care and headaches? Researchers reviewed all randomized controlled trials examining the effects of chiropractic care or spinal manipulation therapy on headaches. (4–6) In these studies, they compared chiropractic care with sham care or other interventions.
The results show that chiropractic care really does help some people with headaches and migraines! In one study (7), researchers examined the effects of two months of chiropractic care on 127 people who suffered from migraines. After two months, they found that the study participants who received chiropractic care fared better than the control group on all the migraine outcomes they examined.
They even found that for about 1 in 5 people, their migraines had almost completely disappeared after two months of chiropractic care! And for half of the study participants, the frequency of their migraines decreased significantly. The results of this study suggest that a large number of migraine patients respond well to chiropractic care! We’re not sure who responds well to it, and we don’t know how much of an influence the placebo effect has, but for some people, their migraines can almost completely disappear within a few months if they receive chiropractic care.
In another study, 880 patients with chronic headaches caused by a problem in their neck—known as cervicogenic headaches—received 8 weeks of chiropractic care, while another, comparable group of 80 patients received 8 weeks of light massage.
What they found in this study was that the patients who received chiropractic care showed significantly greater improvement than the control group that received massage. Virtually all of the pain and disability scores they examined were better in the chiropractic group.
At the end of the study, the chiropractic patients also had fewer headaches and used less medication. The chiropractic patients in this study were even more than three times as likely to experience a significant improvement in their headache symptoms compared to the patients who received light massage. These studies suggest that chiropractic care can truly help some people who suffer from various types of headaches. So if you suffer from headaches, why not consider chiropractic care and make sure your spine is functioning properly so you can function at your best!
References
Uthaikhup S, Jull G, Sungkarat S, et al. The effect of neck pain on sensorimotor function in older adults. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2012;55(3):667-72.
Haavik H, Murphy B. The role of spinal manipulation in addressing impaired sensorimotor integration and altered motor control. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012;22(5):768-76.
Treleaven, J. Sensory-motor disorders in neck conditions that affect postural stability and head and eye movement control. Man Ther 2008;13(1):2-11.
Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headaches. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011;34(5):274-89.
Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, et al. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the British evidence report. Chiropr Osteopat 2010;18:3.
Millstine D, Chen CY, Bauer B. Complementary and Integrative Medicine in the Treatment of Headaches. BMJ 2017;357.
Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Chiropractic Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Migraine. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000;23(2):91-95.
Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, et al. Dose-response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Spine J 2010;10(2):117-28.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Heidi Haavik - B.S. (Physiology), B.S. (Chiropractic), Ph.D.
Dr. Kelly Holt - BSc, BSc(Chiro), PGDipHSc, PhD
Dr. Jenna Duehr - BChiro, BHSC (Nursing), MHSc
