Many people believe that headaches are caused by fatigue, stress, trauma or even loud noise. While these are all factors that can lead to headaches, the direct cause is tightness in the neck and shoulders. The tightness occurs when the spine moves out of position putting pressure on the surrounding nerves. When the nerves are irritated or compressed, they send messages to the muscles of the jaw, neck and back to tighten. This tightness can lead to headaches and, over time, it can pull your bones out of alignment leading to more persistent headaches and migraines.
Around 80% of headaches originate from the neck. The typical cervicogenic (neck origin) headache causes the person to feel pain starting at the base of the skull that then radiates to the temples, eyes, and forehead. While massage will help release the tension in the neck and shoulders, a chiropractic adjustment will realign the vertebrae to eliminate the cause of the headache. Call to schedule with Dr. Rob Cartwright in Fairfield today to eliminate your headaches while providing lasting results to improve your quality of life.