| Has it ever occurred to you that while you are | | | | and does cause headaches. |
| happily typing away on your computer for hours | | | | People usually develop poor neck curvatures |
| on end you are actually creating a problem in your | | | | because of poor posture habits. Anything a |
| neck that can lead to chronic headaches? If you | | | | person does that places their head in a position |
| suffer from migraine headaches or tension | | | | forward to their body will lessen or reverse their |
| headaches it may be something you should | | | | normal neck curve. And poor neck curvatures DO |
| investigate. | | | | cause headaches. Chiropractors have been |
| When a person with migraine headaches or | | | | teaching this for decades. |
| tension headaches visits a chiropractor for their | | | | The types of activities that can lead to poor neck |
| pain what does the chiropractor typically do for | | | | posture include sitting at a computer for extended |
| that patient? The usual treatment for most | | | | periods of time, reading with the head bent |
| headache patients is to manipulate, or adjust, the | | | | forward, sitting while slouching in a chair or on a |
| neck. Chiropractors teach us that most headaches | | | | couch, sleeping with the head or neck in odd |
| come from neck problems, and that by adjusting | | | | positions, or any other activity that places the |
| or manipulating the neck tension and migraine | | | | head in a position forward to the body. So, to |
| headaches can be relieved or cured. | | | | answer our original question, yes, headaches can |
| Over 80% of headache patients that receive | | | | be caused by sitting at a computer. Sitting at a |
| chiropractic treatment show improvement that | | | | computer can cause an abnormal neck curvature |
| ranges from slight improvement up to complete | | | | to develop which can cause headaches. |
| elimination of their headache pain. If this is the | | | | Good posture can surely prevent the |
| case then it seems logical that the majority of | | | | development of poor neck posture, which would |
| migraine headaches or tension headaches originate | | | | seem to be the best remedy, but what can be |
| from spinal (neck) problems. It also seems logical | | | | done if the lessening or reversal of the neck |
| that if we knew what was causing these neck | | | | curve has already been developed? Obviously, |
| problems, and eliminated what was causing them, | | | | chiropractic treatment is an option that could be |
| we could also eliminate the headaches, both | | | | considered. But there are many other alternative |
| migraine and tension. | | | | treatments for tension or migraine headaches. |
| As a chiropractor for 25 years I have treated | | | | Most people just take a pain pill. But are pain pills |
| many patients with migraine headaches and | | | | the best approach? They surely are in some |
| tension headaches. After examining thousands of | | | | cases, but there are many other headache |
| patients I discovered that as many as 95% who | | | | treatment options that don't require the use of |
| were experiencing headaches had one thing in | | | | potentially harmful drugs. All drugs have side |
| common, a reversed cervical (neck) curve. From | | | | effects, some of which can end up being worse |
| the side view a normal neck should have a slight | | | | than the headaches themselves. Before treating |
| curve in it. But in my experience as a chiropractor | | | | your health problems with drugs it is wise to seek |
| I estimate that approximately 95% of my | | | | the advice of a health professional. |
| patients with headaches had either a lessening of | | | | There are many natural remedies for migraine |
| that curve, no curve at all, or a curve that was | | | | headaches or tension headaches. These include |
| completely reversed. When these "poor neck | | | | stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at |
| curvatures" were treated with chiropractic | | | | the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, |
| adjustments most showed great improvement. | | | | getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, |
| Chiropractors know that headaches can be | | | | headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many |
| caused by "poor neck posture," so the next | | | | others. Some of these may help relieve |
| question becomes "can sitting at a computer | | | | headaches, both migraine and tension, and could |
| cause poor neck posture?" If the answer is yes, | | | | be investigated further. |
| then it's obvious that sitting at a computer can | | | | |