Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Relief from tension and migraine headaches — without side effects

Research for my monthly health talk at Heritage of Peachtree Independent & Assisted Living Center led me to some published articles which I think are worth sharing with you.

One study involved 150 subjects, 18 to 70 years of age, who experienced tension-type headaches of at least 3 months in duration at a frequency of at least once each week. The patients were divided into two groups; one had chiropractic care and the other had medication (Amitriptyline) administered.

Both groups improved at very similar rates in all primary outcomes, however, 82 percent of the Amitriptyline therapy group reported side effects including drowsiness, dry mouth and weight gain compared to 4 percent of the chiropractic care group who experienced neck soreness. In addition to these results, 4 weeks after the treatment was stopped, the Amitriptyline group reverted their original symptoms, where the chiropractic group reported continued reduction of headache intensity, frequency, over-the-counter medication usage and an improvement of functional health status.

Another study involved 47 subjects who experienced tension-type (19) and common migraine headaches (28). This study concluded that both groups had occipital (base of the skull) neck pain during headaches; tender points in the upper neck; greatly reduced or absent cervical curve; and joint dysfunction in the cervical spine. This study concluded that the “neck plays an important, but largely ignored role in the manifestation of adult benign headaches.”

Reducing the “tender points” at the base of the skull is one of the objectives of the Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractic Technique performed at our clinic.

So the model on the TV commercial that talks about tension headache that involves the neck makes one good point. They have missed, however, the fact that tension and migraine headaches often come from imbalances in the neck, which can be corrected to alleviate the cause of the headache.

As we age, symptoms related to old neck injuries, may surface as headaches. To discuss safe choices in the treatment of tension and migraine headaches call the Durden Chiropractic Clinic for a free consultation.

— Dr. Marilyn L. Durden

Back to Prime Timers Home Page | Back to the top of the page