Is your neck what’s causing your headaches?
Just about everything you’ve heard about headaches and migraines is wrong. That’s because the old school neurologist point of view on headaches and migraines is pretty limited. Let’s talk about what’s really causing your headaches! Most patients believe that once they get a diagnosis of migraine headache, it means that their headaches are caused by vascular problems in the brain and they have to take medications for the rest of their life. Let’s take a closer look and see what other options you have!
What really causes Migraines and Headaches?
The truth, like many things in medicine, is always a bit more complex. Most headache sufferers (and many neurologists) don’t realize that the upper neck facet joints refer pain into the head. Combine that with the fact that fewer and fewer doctors are being trained how to actually treat these joints (that doesn’t involve an ablation or cortisone injection) so most patients go undiagnosed.
This common neck problem sets that migraine headache storm off in the brain. So like many patients taking migraine headache medications, the only way to know if it’s coming from your neck is with an advanced hands-on exam. What I find in my acupuncture clinic in Tampa is that most people’s eco are causing their headache and migraine problems.
What can you do for Migraine Headaches (that doesn’t involve more medications)?
The good news is that at my acupuncture and dry needling clinic in Tampa I have helped 100’s of patients who once had debilitating migraine headaches reduce their medication and calm down their painful migraines.
On average I expect a 40-50% reduction in headaches if you are a good candidate for the treatments I offer! Can you imagine that?
It all starts with a very specific hands on physical exam to check for pain, muscular tension and irritated nerves in areas of your neck and the muscles that hold up your head. Once we’ve identified the problem causing “pain generators”, then Dr. Josh Hanson, DACM will use a very specialized form of acupuncture and dry needling to restore function to areas that aren’t working so well, calm down irritated nerves, and restore adaptability to your body’s systems.
Over time and with repeated treatment we are able to create a sort of resilience in your nervous system so it can adapt to the stressors and triggers that used to set off your migraine headaches.
Your next step
If you’re sick of dealing with migraine headaches, sick of taking rescue medications that leave you feeling wiped out, and ready to reduce your migraine headaches then schedule an acupuncture visit with Dr. Josh Hanson.
Sometimes you have to take a step back and realize your current approach isn’t the only way up the mountain and that there are many paths (ones that are less risky and don’t involve a ton of medications 😉 ).
