Tension Headaches???

Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches.  Everyone has occasional tension headaches but if the headache occurs two or more times weekly for several months or longer the condition is considered chronic.
Tension headaches are dull, pressure-like and are worse in the scalp, temples of back of the neck.   They can become as severe as a migraine but are different in that they are usually not one-sided and rarely involve visual distrubances.

They result from contraction of the scalp and neck muscles.  One cause is a response to emotional stress but physical stress that causes vertebral misalignment  or muscle tension is more often the culprit.  Any activity that causes the head to be held in one position for a long time without moving can cause a tension headache. 

In chronic tension headaches, the vertebral misalignments and muscle contractions become cyclic aggravated by many daily activities like typing, driving or knitting.  Stressors such as smoking, alcohol use caffeine or sinus irritation compound the problem.  Most home therapies will not break the cycle at this level. 

However, there is no reason to suffer with tension headaches. Tension headaches respond quickly to chiropractic treatment, massage and acupuncture.