Is bad posture causing your headaches?

Headaches plague 90 percent of  Americans in some capacity. Even if you get them only occasionally, a headache can ruin any day.  At Wisniewski Chiropractic, we see lots of headache patients and we can help you too.

The root causes fluctuate just as much as the different types of headaches themselves. Some people choose to work right through the pain and hope it subsides.

Others turn to the trusty bottle of aspirin or Tylenol in their bag. Other headaches seemingly can’t be touched by any remedies and cause nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light and sound.

A serious migraine can render anyone useless for a day or more. Understanding the factors  that can trigger these headaches could save you time and money.

The stressors in your life

Most of us spend time every day driving to work. Commutes vary, but every driver shares a common denominator, uncomfortable car seats.

If you’re lucky enough to work close to your home, we envy you! Still, you probably spend about eight hours a day at a desk. Good posture becomes hard to support over this duration of time and your muscles will feel the effects.

Your screen can also be a culprit. Most computers and laptops sit below eye level.

This means your neck needs to stay in an unnatural position for you to focus on your work. Over an entire workday, your neck can understandably wear out from supporting your head in this way. Muscle tension and joint irritation cause the headache side effects.

Other stressors can be diet-related. Eating too much sugar or going too long without food can cause your body to take out its stress on your head.

Dehydration is another huge cause of various types of headaches. In short, remember the number eight when it comes to your water. Eight glasses a day of at least eight ounces are what most people need to maintain proper hydration.

When you’re dehydrated, your brain quite literally shrinks from lack of water. The pain receptive nerves around the brain send signals as a result, which causes a headache.

Relieving your headaches

The first step toward relieving your headaches should be simple ones.

Stretch every 45 minutes or so if you’re sitting in a desk. Movement helps reset your muscles to break bad posture habits. Giving your irritated neck or back muscles a mini-massage on your own can also help relieve the trigger points.

Ibuprofen and acetaminophen medications can relieve minor tension headaches in some cases, but be careful, over-using these in a short period of time can lead to more headaches!

If you’ve had a serious injury from sports, a car accident or anything else, your headaches could be due to something more serious.

If you’ve tried the above suggestions and still can’t get any relief, chiropractic care could be the solution you need. Misalignments in the spine can put pressure on nerves, but  small adjustments can relieve and prevent this condition.

Additionally, chiropractic care promotes proper spinal alignment and neck posture. The chiropractor can identify the triggers in your life by pinpointing them and suggesting helpful stretches to help you in between appointments.

Come see us at Wisniewski Chiropractic and take the first step toward melting your headaches away!