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Eliminating Tension Headaches

Dr. Levi Merritt DC, NBC-HWC, CPT

Over 40 million people in the U.S. suffer from regular headaches. According to a Mayo Clinic study, headaches were one of the top ten reasons for seeing a doctor.


Headaches are one of the costliest diseases in existence, simply due to the large number of people that suffer from them.


There are several different types of headaches but by far the most common type of headache to be seen at a doctor’s office is the tension-type headache.

Tension-type headaches are classified as either chronic or episodic and can be triggered by stress, anxiety, hunger, fatigue, and poor sleeping habits. Prolonged muscular tension in the face, head, and neck is a contributing factor to the cause of tension headaches as well.


Symptoms include mild to moderate pain in the front, top, and sides of the head. Some patients describe their pain as if they were “wearing a band” around their head. Muscle pain in the neck and shoulders is often reported as well.


Tension-type headaches are typically treated with over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, caffeine, or a combination thereof.

Unfortunately, prolonged use of these medications increases the risk of stomach ulcers, kidney and liver failure, heart attack, and stroke.


These medications treat only the symptoms of the headache, and do nothing to eliminate the cause.


Manual therapy, including spinal manipulation, is an effective and popular form of treatment for tension-type headaches as it addresses the musculoskeletal dysfunctions associated with the headache.


One research study compared the effects of spinal manipulation and pharmaceutical treatments for chronic tension headaches.


Drug therapy was slightly more effective in reducing pain, but was associated with more side effects. More importantly, at the four-week follow-up; patients who received spinal manipulation experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit versus the group who received medications. The group that used medications had reverted to their pretreatment condition.


The results of the study demonstrated that spinal manipulative therapy was overall an effective treatment for tension headaches.


If you would like more information, feel free to call (304-840-2820) or stop by the office. No appointments are necessary, and consultations are free. You can also email me at DocLeviChiropractic@yahoo.com.


Yours in Health,

Dr. Levi G. Merritt, D.C., CPT, CHC

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