Headaches Specialist

McGowan Medical Centers

Chiropractors located in Jacksonville, FL

Sometimes an aspirin just doesn’t hack it. How about prescribing a chiropractor to relieve the pain? Throbbing headaches are a common symptom of many chiropractic ailments. Whether it’s a migraine or a symptom of a back, shoulder, or neck injury, or an off-shoot of chronic arthritis, the cure can be found by the experts at the McGowan Medical Centers Center in Jacksonville, Florida.

Headache Q & A

How can a chiropractor help my headache?

Headaches and chiropractic problems go hand in hand. Many headaches are caused by muscle strain in your back or neck, so Dr. Royce McGowan, Dr. Shelita McGowan, and Dr. Kwame Jenkins at the McGowan Spinal Rehabilitation Center can help figure out the best way to treat them. In one recent study, 71% of the people who saw chiropractors for migraines experienced significant improvement after seeing a chiropractor.

The trick is to find the best treatment for what’s making your head hurt. Some of the most common treatments and lifestyle recommendations could include:

  • Recommending diet changes
  • Manipulating joints in the neck
  • Realigning the back
  • Improving posture
  • Massaging the area
  • Prescribing medication and/or vitamins
  • Teaching relaxation techniques
  • Exercising regularly

As part of the diagnosis, the doctors take a history of your headaches, when they occur, and their pain levels. There may be an MRI or CT scan required to see if the headache is a symptom of some other problem.

What causes a headache?

The dull throbbing in your head that causes the pain could be caused by a variety of ailments. It’s not always clear why pain signals are sent to the brain, but it occurs because nerves in your blood vessels and muscles get activated and irritated. Often, pain is brought on by environmental causes.

Sometimes a headache can be triggered by something as simple as bright lights, lack of food, loud noise, or cradling a phone with a bent neck. Headaches could cause tingling in your hands, dizziness, nausea, or vomiting as possible side effects.

Are there different kinds of headaches?

Yes, not all headaches are the same, nor are they caused by the same triggers.

The most common types of headaches are:

  • Migraines. These severe pulsing headaches can be accompanied by vomiting and nausea and could be caused by illness or hormonal issues
  • Stress headaches. Also known as tension headaches, these common headaches are generally caused by a specific trigger and tend to go away
  • Cluster headaches. Often experienced by men, these feel like a stabbing pain behind the eyes

What are the ways to avoid headaches?

It’s maybe much easier to avoid a headache in the first place rather than getting rid of one once you have it. Some ways to avoid a headache are:

  • Do breathing and relaxation techniques
  • Avoid slouching
  • Take breaks
  • Keep your head up and even between your shoulders
  • Eat regularly
  • Avoid anxiety
  • Sleep more

Visit Dr. Royce McGowan, Dr. Shelita McGowan, and Dr. Kwame Jenkins at the McGowan Medical Centers in Jacksonville, Florida, for specialized headache treatments.