About Nashua Headache and Nashua Chiropractic

"I have a headache." It's not always just an excuse to get out of something, but a headache is a red flag telling you that something is wrong. That something likely starts in your neck.

descriptor of pain in the head, face, and neck

If you suffer from headaches, you are not alone. 45 million people (1 in 6 people) report chronic, recurring headaches in the US. (1)

The headache pain can be throbbing or achy, in one or more areas of the head, neck, or face. It can be bad enough to send you to a dark, quiet room or just the medicine cabinet for a pill. Headaches can involve muscles, discs, nerves and facet joints in the neck as a source of aggravation of headache pain.

There are two types of headaches: primary and secondary.

1. Stress Headaches - These are the most common. They start around middle age when the stresses and aggravation of our busy lives increase. 90% of headache sufferers get these. (2) The pain usually starts as dull, aching, steady pain felt on both sides of the head. They may develop into throbbing pain. Eye strain, stress, tension, tightness may trigger stress headaches.
2. Cluster Headaches - These headaches appear in "clusters," like repeatedly over weeks or months. They may recur the same time every year. These headaches are quite painful and usually affect only one side of the head around the eye. Men are affected more than women with this type of headache.
   • Incidence: less than 1% of headache sufferers. (3)
3. Migraine Headaches - Reduced blood flow to various areas of the head may be a source of migraines. These headaches generally start with a visual disturbance that goes away in about an hour leaving behind just a good amount of pain. Sensitivity to light and noise, nausea, vomiting and intense throbbing on side of the head accompany a migraine. A migraine will last typically 6 to 72 hours.
   • Incidence: 12% of headache sufferers (4)
   • Incidence: About 11 million adults in the US get migraines.  (5)

A thorough, clinical examination that may include imaging is important to your headache diagnosis and pain relief treatment plan.

In-office, Moriarty Chiropractic uses chiropractic Cox Technic Flexion Distraction and Decompression which is a less invasive means to pain relief as it stretches the neck musculature, reduces disc pressures, and realigns any misaligned spinal segments. Tension headaches that involve tight muscles do well with exercises designed to stretch those muscles.

Moriarty Chiropractic recommends some basic at home care tips like sleeping on a supportive pillow and mattress, reduce your exposure to eye straining situations for long periods of time, and exercises among other strategies to deal with your headaches.

Contact Moriarty Chiropractic for a gentle, conservative approach to headache relief.