Symptoms:  A symptom is a sensation only noticeable by the person experiencing it. A sign is a condition that others can see. Some examples of a symptom are headaches, lower back pain, and stomach aches. Some examples of signs are bloody nose, discoloring of the skin, and broken fingers.

Symptoms are often an indication of underlying health problems. Consequently, treating and correcting underlying health problems frequently alleviates the related symptoms.

What symptoms have you experienced?

Headaches: Headache symptoms can manifest as an ache or throbbing of the head, sensitivity to light or nausea.

There are two different classifications of headaches.

Primary headaches make up 90% of all headaches, and secondary headaches make up the remaining 10%.

Primary headaches include:

• Tension headaches are commonly a steady ache accompanied by a sensation of tightening.
• Migraines are described as an intense throbbing sensation. Most migraines are accompanied with nausea and sensitivity to light.
• Cervicogenic headaches are brought on by odd neck movement or positioning.
• Cluster headaches come in groupings. Each headache is severe and brief.

Secondary headaches are the result of more serious medical conditions. Some examples of serious medical conditions are infection or brain tumors.

Underlying Health Problem

Most primary headaches are caused by spinal subluxations (misaligned areas of the spine that restrict spinal nerve function) of the neck bones. Subluxations of the neck bones cause restricted motion and muscle tension that lead to headaches.

What Are Your Options?

• Medical Doctors suggest medication and neck surgery for acute cases.
• Doctors of Chiropractic suggest chiropractic adjustments to align your spine, restore range of motion, and relieve muscle tension for primary headaches. Chiropractors also advise seeking medical or naturopathic (Doctors of Naturopathy) attention for diseases causing secondary headaches.

News in Favor of Chiropractic Therapy for Headaches: Researchers at Duke University Evidence Based Practice Center released a report in 2001 revealing that chiropractic adjustments resulted in nearly immediate improvements for headaches originating in the neck! Patients involved in the study had longer-lasting relief of tension headaches and experienced considerably fewer negative side effects than they experienced with pharmaceutical treatment.