Our migraine chiropractic clinic near Sacramento is helping numerous patients with headaches and migraines get relief from their symptoms. Migraines and headaches share a connection both cause pressure and varying severity of head pain. Some headaches are stress-induced (tension headaches). Others are, unfortunately, caused by dehydration.

At some point, in nearly everyone's lives, they will experience at least one headache type. Headaches can be mild to extremely excruciating. Migraines are prevalent, and it affects at least a billion people worldwide. 

Do you want to know how to differentiate migraines from headaches? It is crucial to know because it allows you to choose the best ways of handling each one correctly. When a head pain suddenly strikes you, how will you be able to tell the difference? Are you having a typical headache or a migraine?

Migraines Are Neurological

Migraines are quite different from many other headache types. A considerably wide growing body of research considers migraines to be a neurological disorder that involves pathways in the brain, the nervous system, and chemicals. Aside from the headache element, people with migraines also experience a selection of other neurologically-based symptoms.

The highlight of a typical migraine episode includes the following:

• Nausea that may consist of vomiting
• Visual disturbances - these vision disturbances, often called auras, may come out as sparks of light, floating lights, zigzags, or wavy lines
• Sensory changes - tingling and numbness that may travel up the arms and into the face
• Severe, throbbing head pain - the pain often affects only one side of the head.  However, some migraineurs complain that their head pains are on both sides.
• Speech difficulty - those affected by this have problems producing words, even though they know what they want to say. They will also have trouble understanding what others are saying.
• Heightened sensitivity - individuals may experience hypersensitivity to outside stimuli. It includes a heightened sensitivity to sound, light, and smell during a migraine attack.

To learn more about the connection between neck injuries and migraines download our free e-book below.

Various Kinds of Headaches

A headache is basically any pain that affects the head. It affects:

• The forehead
• Temples
• Back of the neck
• Below the skull (the occiput)

The intensity of a headache varies from just a mild annoyance to severe, crippling pain. A headache may last for half an hour, or go on for a few days. Our migraine chiropractic clinic near Sacramento offers relief for various headache types.  Of all those types, here are just three of the most common ones: 

#1. Cluster headache

Cluster headaches are so intense that they can potentially wake you up while you sleep. The pain it causes is commonly affecting one eye or one side of the head. It is tricky to distinguish cluster headaches from a migraine. 

As its name suggests, cluster headaches appear in cycles or patterns. A cluster period may last from a few weeks to a few months and then followed by a headache-free time of remission.

#2. Tension headache

Tension headaches cause mild to moderate dull pain in the head. It feels as if a tight rubber band is squeezing the head. Imagine you were wearing a hat, and it fits your head too tightly, and then it continues to become even tighter. That's how a tension headache feels like.

An individual who suffers from this kind of headache feels tenderness in their scalp and tightness in their neck and shoulder muscles. It is one of the most prevalent types of head pain. Many experts in the past believed that abnormal contractions in the scalp, face, and neck caused it. However, newer findings believe that people with tension headaches may have a higher level of sensitivity to pain. Also, stress is its most frequent trigger.

#3. Sinus headache

Sinus headaches can be mistaken for migraines. As the name implies, sinus headaches have something to do in a particular area, the sinus.

The sinuses are air-filled spaces located behind the forehead, cheekbones, and nose. The sinuses can sometimes become infected or inflamed. As a result, it causes a buildup of pressure in the head, thus, creating a headache.

The pain of sinus headaches can be constant and deep. Sinus headaches may be accompanied by other symptoms that are not present in migraine. These other symptoms include:

• A runny nose
• Fever
• Congestion in the ears

Different Causes And Symptoms With A Common Solution

Headaches and migraines may have a lot of differences and similarities. Knowing how they differ helps you formulate a course of action that can help you effectively combat them. (Visiting a migraine chiropractic clinic near Sacramento, for example.) However, despite all their differences, migraines and various other types of headaches also have the same root cause. Can you guess what that is?

The central nervous system composed of the brain and spinal cord is the master control system of the human body. It oversees the dilation and constriction of blood vessels, the muscle tension, and all of your senses. Any dysfunction with these normal body processes will lead to the formation of headaches or migraines. 

The vital connection of the spinal cord and brain is so high that what affects one also affects the other. One of the ways that the normal nervous system function becomes disrupted is by a spinal misalignment.

Spinal misalignments happen as a result of:

• Car accident
• A slip and fall incident
• Sports injury
• Whiplash
• Wear and tear
• Neck or head trauma

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Can Be the Solution

Upper cervical chiropractic is a subcategory of chiropractic. It focuses on optimizing the nervous system function by focusing on the atlas (C1), the uppermost vertebra in the spine. The atlas bone is crucial because it surrounds and protects the brainstem, an integral part that coordinates many of the life-sustaining functions of the body.

Many migraineurs and headache patients turn to upper cervical chiropractic care for help in identifying the underlying causes of their condition. Our migraine chiropractic clinic near Sacramento has already risen to the occasion. With an upper cervical chiropractors help, many patients have attained migraine and headache relief.

When an atlas bone misalignment has disrupted the regular brain-body communication for long enough, the definite result will be the development of chronic migraines and headaches. In other words, by correcting the root cause of the problem, upper cervical chiropractic provides a natural and longer-lasting solution. Come and visit the Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Sacramento, in California for a consultation. You can call us at 916-655-0569 or contact us online.

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.