Seeking upper cervical care in Rockford is a good move towards solving headaches and migraines. As many as 39 million people in the United States are experiencing migraines. That is about twelve percent of the population. Tens of millions of individuals also face various types of headaches.
How can anyone effectively tell the differences between migraines and headaches? Would you like to know enough to understand whether you are having a headache or experiencing a neurological condition known as migraines? Here are five crucial distinctions between these two:
#1 Pain Location
Tension headaches are the most widespread type of headache. It regularly feels like a tight band gets wrapped around the head, causing discomfort. On the other hand, migraines frequently occur on just one side of the head. It is possible to have migraines that may affect both sides of the head, but migraines are commonly unilateral. Meanwhile, cluster headaches are a crippling type of problem that attacks only one side of the head. Identifying the location of your head pain is just one step in telling headaches and migraines apart.
#2 Frequency and Length
Migraines and headaches can be both of varying lengths. The significant difference is that migraines are rarely less than a few hours in duration. Migraines can even last up to several days. Tension headaches can be very quick or may last for a few days. In the case of cluster headaches, these do not last very long, but they can be very intense. Cluster headaches also occur in groups, hence the term cluster. Both migraines and tension headaches may happen every day if they become chronic.
#3 Type of Pain Level
Most people believe that migraines are just severe headaches. As a result, many would try to differentiate these two by only their degrees of pain. However, there are many factors to keep in mind. Tension headaches are often considered mild. They are annoying to those who suffer from them, but frequently, it is easy to work through them. Cluster headaches are known to be the most severe type of headaches.
Migraines range from moderate to severe pain levels. Migraines are crippling enough that they stop about 90% of people from regularly working during an attack.
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#4 Phases of Migraines or Suddenness of Headaches
Any headache can strike suddenly from nowhere. It can happen immediately and cause severe pain. Ice pick headaches and cluster headaches have these characteristics.
One thing that sets migraines apart is that they happen in phases. They rarely start suddenly. Other symptoms can precede migraines for an entire day before a migraine attack occurs. About 1 in 4 migraine patients experience an aura about 20 to 30 minutes before the head pain starts. An aura is a sequence of visual symptoms. Get upper cervical care in Rockford for your headache and migraine relief.
#5 Additional Symptoms
Finally, this distinction, the presence of additional symptoms, can genuinely set migraines apart from headaches. Tension headaches seldom have other symptoms besides the headache itself and tension in the shoulders, neck, and upper back. Cluster headaches usually show with a watery eye along with nasal congestion on the same side of the head as the pain.
Migraines appear with a multitude of symptoms. These symptoms include:
- Vertigo
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensory sensitivity
- Visual symptoms
- Neck pain
- Head pain and more
It is the most significant signal that a headache may be a particular symptom of a migraine. Migraines come with a lot of indicators. There doesn’t even have to be a headache. An optical migraine may involve visual symptoms. A vestibular migraine may be limited to just causing dizziness and balance issues. Migraines usually contain a host of neurological symptoms.
Finding Relief for Both Headaches and Migraines
Headaches or migraines can both affect the quality of your daily life. You may get tired of taking medications, which usually give temporary relief. Drugs only deal with the symptoms. Hence, there is only temporary comfort gained along with a high risk of unwanted side effects. To get long-term relief, you need to get to the root cause of the problem.
Also, if your migraine or headache condition gets worse, the medication may be the cause. When a person overuses prescription pain medicine or over-the-counter, it can cause rebound headaches. To get rid of rebound headaches, a person will need to stop taking medications for a short period to understand which medicines are causing many of the migraines or headaches.
Learn how upper cervical care in Rockford patients get relief from migraines and headaches.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care For Migraines and Headaches
Upper cervical chiropractic is a natural form of care that has already provided benefits for many people suffering from both migraines and headaches. What is upper cervical chiropractic care, and why do people with migraines or headaches find benefits from it?
Upper cervical chiropractors focus specifically on the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) vertebrae in the upper cervical spine. These vertebrae play an essential function in protecting the brainstem and facilitating proper blood flow to the brain. When any of these two bones become misaligned, the brainstem may malfunction, and cerebral blood flow can become abnormal. Headaches and migraines are just a couple of the potential effects when a misalignment occurs.
These chiropractors use diagnostic imaging to pinpoint precisely the location and degree of any upper cervical misalignment. Then a low-force correction is specifically tailored for each patient’s specific needs. Upper cervical chiropractors use low-force adjustments that are safe for very young children or seniors. Once the proper alignment returns, patients can benefit from fewer and less severe headaches or migraines. Some patients even enjoy receiving complete relief.
Does this sound like the type of natural care you would like to benefit from? Visit us at Upper Cervical Care Center-Rockford or call us at 815-384-1127 for a consultation. Experience upper cervical care in Rockford, and enjoy a drug-free relief from your chronic headaches or migraines as soon as possible.
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