The tension-type headache is the most prevalent headache type, affecting 80% of the population at some point in their lifetimes. Tension headaches are so common that they are viewed as a normal part of life that we just have to suffer through. I have often heard patients say, “I only have the usual headaches, nothing serious; I just take Tylenol, Advil, Naproxen or Aleve.”
Tension headaches cost the United States taxpayers billions of dollars per year in disability payments, medical fee reimbursements, and lost productivity. “Nothing serious” you say?
What is the cost of lost productivity in your life? Those missed opportunities with your family, friends and other loved ones can never be recaptured. Headache pain robs many of the simple joys of life. In other cases, it stands in the way of you getting a promotion at work, or limiting your athletic ability. In all cases, those who attempt to “learn to live with it” end up only learning to suffer and endure pain as a way of life or becoming reliant on pain killers that can have many dangerous side effects.
What causes tension headaches?
Abnormal strain upon the supportive muscles of the head and neck can lead to tension headaches. When the head is out of alignment with the force of gravity, the muscles must work much harder simply to hold the head up. Over time this abnormal stress creates changes in the muscles which diminish their efficiency, and also change their structure.
When the stress of daily life builds up to the point of fatigue, and the muscles in the neck are stressed to their maximum level, they refer pain to the other muscles of the head. This build-up of stress and fatigue manifests as pain either in the back or front of the head or below your skull near your neck. This pain can be corrected naturally, with chiropractic care.
If you or someone you know has tension headaches and would like to get more information on how to correct this problem, please call us at 402-323-7838.
– Dr. Leif Olson
*special thanks to Dr. Carolyn Finnegan for this article
