Headaches are becoming common place for children. According to one children's hospital, headaches affect over 40% of children under 7, and 75% of kids have their first headache by age 15. While migraines are far less common in children (only about 3%) a common headache is experienced by almost everyone. Why is this the case? What can help with headaches?
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Causes of Headaches
While the underlying cause of headaches, in general, is still not completely understood, researchers recognize that many different factors play into headache occurrence. A few of the most common ideas include:
- Muscle tightness
- Dilated blood vessels
- Hormone levels
- Stress
- Dehydration
These are just a few of the factors that headaches get attributed to. What can't be argued is what headaches result in. For many, especially children, chronic head pain can lead to depression and general behavioral issues.
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Looking to the Neck for Help
Most parents are not interested in pumping their kids full of medications, prescription or not. While you want to stop the pain, it's always a good idea to also search for long-term assistance that can reduce headache occurrence rather than just waiting until the next one crops up and popping another pill.
Interestingly, a misalignment of the atlas (C1 vertebrae) can lead to many of the underlying headache issues noted above. A misaligned neck can cause muscle strain. It can also put pressure on the brainstem, potentially affecting neurochemistry. The blood vessels could also be affected as the misalignment may be preventing proper drainage.
Even if the child has not suffered head or neck trauma (a car accident, a fall on the playground, etc.), the birth process itself could have led to an upper cervical misalignment. The headaches may just be a symptom of an issue that has existed since day one.
At Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Sacramento, we use the Atlas Orthogonal technique of upper cervical chiropractic to coax the atlas gently back into place. This gives the body the opportunity to heal and may help patients see fewer headaches, perhaps clearing them up altogether.
To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Gottlieb, call 916-655-0569, or just click the button below.
If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.
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