Headache Treatment in Fort Collins, CO

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Types of Headaches & How To Get Rid Of Them

If you experience headaches, you are not alone. Thousands of your neighbors in Fort Collins are also suffering from headaches on a regular basis. According to the World Health Organization, 50% of the general population will experience headaches during any given year, and more than 90% of individuals report having headaches during their lifetime. Many people resort to taking medications, which can cause additional health problems when taken on a regular basis. Others have searched and found natural solutions to manage or eliminate headaches, such as corrective chiropractic care. The first step in determining the best potential headache treatment is discovering what type of headache you suffer from, and what is the cause of your headache.  Your local Fort Collins chiropractor at Square ONE can help you find the cause of your headache and develop a customized headache treatment plan.

Tension Headaches: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, affecting up to 78% of the population. Tension headaches cause more disability and missed worked days than migraine headaches.  

Tension Headache Symptoms 

Tension headaches are frequently described as a pressing, dull, or tight, band-like sensation around the head.  

Tension Headache Causes

Studies show that tension headaches are frequently found to be related to forward head posture (FHP).  

Research has found that forward head and neck posture causes:

 Increased contraction and shortening of the posterior cervical neck muscles

• Tightening of the anterior cervical neck muscles
• Hyperextension of the upper cervical spine vertebrae
• Decreased cervical range of motion
• Temporomandibular joint dysfunction
• Increased incidence of cervicogenic headaches

Additionally, research has found that as the amount of forward head posture increases, so does headache severity, headache frequency and headache duration, while cervical range of motion decreases.[1]

Tension Headache Treatment in Fort Collins

Acupuncture, manual therapy and chiropractic adjustments have been found to provide temporary relief for tension headaches. However, treatments that aim to improve head and neck posture, such as chiropractic biophysics, have been found to have the greatest long-term results for relief from tension headaches.[2]  Your local Fort Collins chiropractor at Square ONE specializes in chiropractic biophysics for headache treatment.

Cervicogenic Headaches: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Cervicogenic headaches affect up to 20% of the population, and affect up to 53% of the population in individuals with a whiplash-related injury.  

Cervicogenic Headache Symptoms

Symptoms of cervicogenic headaches are often described as:

• Unilateral head pain
• Pain starting in the upper posterior neck or base of skull, that eventually wraps around to the temporal area
• Pain triggered by neck movement
• Pain with sustained awkward positions, such as looking at a computer or phone 
• Decreased cervical range of motion
• Neck stiffness
• Pain with palpation of the cervical spine joints
• Pain around the eyes

Cervicogenic Headache Causes

Cervicogenic headaches can develop due to a person’s occupation requiring them to sustain an awkward position for long periods of time, such as individuals doing computer work, hair stylists, manual laborers and drivers. Cervicogenic headaches can develop from a trauma, such as whiplash from a car accident, or sports injury. Cervicogenic headaches can also be caused by an underlying medical condition.  

Cervicogenic headaches are caused by:

• Underlying structural problems of the cervical spine
• Cervical spine dysfunction (joints that do not move properly)
• Segmental instabilities (joints that move excessively)
• Abnormal posture
• Abnormal spine alignment   

Some medical conditions that can cause cervicogenic headaches include:

• Tumors
• Instabilities (joints that move too much because of ligamentous injuries, usually from a trauma, such as whiplash)
• Fractures
• Arthritis in the spine
• Disc degeneration
• Loss or reversal of a normal cervical lordosis (cervical curve)

Cervicogenic Headache Treatment in Fort Collins

Research has found spinal manipulation (chiropractic adjustments), to be more effective than mobilization and exercises for treating cervicogenic headaches.[3] Mobilization consists of slow, rhythmical oscillating techniques, whereas manipulation consists of a high-velocity low-amplitude thrust, such as a chiropractic adjustment. Spinal adjustments have shown to significantly decrease headache intensity, headache frequency, headache duration and medication intake when compared to mobilization and exercises used for treating cervicogenic headaches.  Your local Fort Collins chiropractor at Square ONE specializes in chiropractic adjustments for headache treatment.

Cluster Headaches: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Cluster headaches come in intense bouts of frequent headaches that can last for weeks to months.  These intense bouts are followed by remission periods where the cluster headaches can completely stop for months, and sometimes even years.  

Cluster Headache Symptoms

Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches. Cluster headaches are known to wake affected individuals in the middle of the night, with intense pain around the eye, on one side of the head.

Common signs and symptoms of cluster headaches can include:

• Intense pain in or around the eye, that may radiate to other areas of the face, head and neck
• One-sided pain
• Difficulty sleeping
• Tearing
• Eye redness
• Stuffy or runny nose, on the affected side
• Swelling on the affected side
• Sensitivity to light

Cluster Headache Causes

The exact cause of cluster headaches is unknown, however, there may be some association with the body’s biological clock.  Unlike migraine headaches, cluster headaches are not considered associated with triggers such as food, stress or hormones.

Cluster Headache Treatment in Fort Collins

There are no known cures for cluster headaches. Since the cause of cluster headaches is unknown, it is hard to say exactly what will cure them.  Treatments for cluster headaches are designed to shorten the length, decrease the pain severity and prevent cluster headaches. Natural treatments, such as chiropractic care, could potentially help cluster headaches by improving the functioning of the body and improving the brain-body communication. Lifestyle changes such as developing a regular sleep schedule and avoiding alcohol could potentially help avoid cluster headache attacks.  Your local Fort Collins chiropractor at Square ONE specializes in chiropractic adjustments for headache treatment.

Migraine Headaches: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Migraine headaches are a neurological and hormonal condition frequently described as an intense, debilitating headache.

Migraine Headache Symptoms

Migraine headache symptoms can include:

• Intense headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and sound 
• Difficulty speaking
• Migraine headaches may occur with aura (classic migraine), or without aura (common migraine)  
• Auras can include blind spots, light flashes and vision changes

Migraine Headache Causes

Migraine headaches are usually caused by an emotional, chemical or physical trigger or stressor. 

Common migraine triggers or stressors can include:

Emotional Triggers

• • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Excitement

Physical Triggers

• •  Insufficient sleep
  • Neck and upper back tension
  • Poor posture
  • Overexertion
  • Jetlag

Chemical Triggers

• • Low blood sugar
  • Alcohol, Wine
  • Caffeine
  • Food Additives and Sweeteners (Aspartame, MSG)
  • Medications (Oral contraceptives, vasodilators)
  • Hormonal changes around menstrual cycles

Migraine Headache Treatment in Fort Collins

Sometimes lifestyle changes such as getting plenty of sleep, reducing stress levels, avoiding food triggers, drinking plenty of water, and doing regular exercise can help manage migraine headaches.

Correction of related problems in the neck through corrective chiropractic care can offer relief of migraine headaches. This type of chiropractic care realigns the bones of the neck, relieving pressure from the nerves, and thereby reducing the triggers for migraine headaches.  Many people have found improvement of migraine headaches after having gone through corrective chiropractic care.  Your local Fort Collins chiropractor at Square ONE specializes in corrective chiropractic care for headache treatment.

Learn More About Migraine Headaches 

There is no reason to continue to suffer from headaches. Hundreds of patients in Fort Collins, CO have found a natural solution for long-term headache relief at Square ONE Fort Collins Chiropractor. Don’t waste another day in pain, call now to schedule a free consultation at Square ONE to see what headache treatment options are available.  Call 970-207-4463, or click here to request a free consultation.

1. Fernandez-de-las-Penas, C., et al., Forward head posture and neck mobility in chronic tension-type headache: a blinded, controlled study. Cephalalgia, 2006. 26(3): p. 314-9.
2. Lee, E. and S. Lee, Impact of Cervical Sensory Feedback for Forward Head Posture on Headache Severity and Physiological Factors in Patients with Tension-type Headache: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Controlled Trial. Med Sci Monit, 2019. 25: p. 9572-9584.
3. Dunning, J.R., et al., Upper cervical and upper thoracic manipulation versus mobilization and exercise in patients with cervicogenic headache: a multi-center randomized clinical trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 2016. 17: p. 64.