Tension headaches are the most common form of headache that affects the population. More often, these headaches pop up in the afternoon (at the end of a stressful workday or school day) and it is reported that the common triggers for these headaches are stress and hunger. These are muscle related, due to stress of the muscles in the back of the head, poor posture, eyestrain, hunger, and clenching the jaw repeatedly. Tension headaches tend to show up on both sides of the head at the same time whereas migraines settle on one side. People often describe the pain as feeling like a vice is squeezing the head.
In our office, we believe in the functional medicine approach to treat the cause and not the symptom. Many people live in agony most of their lives with headaches and they can be treated without drugs and painkillers. The key here is to identify the cause of the headaches and eliminate that factor.
We use treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic, Graston technique, myofascial release, and massage to dispel the built-up stress and negative consequences. Headaches don’t have to be just a part of your life.