Are Headaches Undertreated?

With the many different types of pain relievers available at the local pharmacy, you’d think headache sufferers would have a solution to their problem. However, this just isn’t the case and headaches continue to be a great burden on society. What’s more, it seems many medical doctors may even under-diagnose this common problem.

• In a 2008 study published in the British Journal of General Practice, researchers studied over 91,000 adult patients who had recently reported a headache to their doctor of which 70% didn’t receive a diagnosis. The authors suggested that general medical physicians have difficulty in diagnosing presenting symptoms.

The spine is often overlooked as being the potential cause of a headache. Often, they are thought to have their cause in the head, as this is where the pain is most prominent, as opposed to the neck.

Here are several signs that your neck may be the cause of your headaches.

Symptoms in the neck region such as:

• joint pain
• muscle tension
• trigger points and pain referred elsewhere
• neck stiffness

Those that originate in the neck are called a ‘cervicogenic’ headache.

Neck problems arise in certain cases of tension-type headaches, as well as migraine headaches. How this occurs exactly is still undergoing research.

Headaches can have a devastating impact on our quality of life and need effective treatment. Chiropractic care has shown in several studies to reduce headache pain and other associated symptoms. It is an important non-drug treatment option for patients.

If you, a family member, or a friend is suffering from headaches, we can provide a thorough examination and treatment plan.

For more information on how we can help relieve headaches, contact us to schedule an appointment, or give us a call on 92626566 Sydney CBD or 95509480 Lewisham.