Most of us have experienced a headache at one point or another in our lives. But did you know that headaches can be divided into two distinct types? Knowing the difference between a headache and migraine can help you effectively manage your pain and seek treatment when necessary.
The Difference Between Headaches & Migraines
The main difference between a headache and a migraine is the severity of pain. Although headaches can certainly be painful, they usually won’t affect your daily life or cause long-term damage. On the other hand, migraines can be debilitating and often require treatment to manage symptoms.
Migraines
According to recent statistics, approximately 11% of Americans will experience at least one migraine attack every year—and around 4 million suffer from chronic migraines (15 or more days per month).
In addition to being much more intense, migraines often come with additional symptoms, such as
- Sensitivity to light and sound
- Nausea
- Visual disturbances (including flashing lights)
- Dizziness
Migraine sufferers also typically experience throbbing pain that feels like it’s coming from one side of their head. This type of pain is usually absent in those experiencing regular headaches.
For some people, there are different migraine triggers, including stress, alcohol, diet, dehydration, weather changes, and changes to sleep schedule.
Tension Headaches
Those with general headaches usually have a bit of pain in the back of the head or front of the head. These are the most common headaches, also called tension headaches. They come from tension in the neck muscles.
A Patient Success Story
This patient suffered from migraines, and would have chronic, repetitive ones, which would happen several times a week. She was on medication, which sometimes prevented a headache from turning into a migraine.
After about a month of care with us, we were able to get the alignment of her spine very stable. As a result, her migraines have significantly decreased in frequency; now she only has maybe one or two a month. When she does take medication, it’s more effective, and the patient doesn’t need to take it right away. If she starts feeling symptoms, even if she waits a few hours, the medication can usually knock down a headache so it doesn’t become a migraine.
In addition to chiropractic care, we also used laser therapy on the patient. The laser focused on the upper neck area, where the specific part of the nervous system that creates headaches is located.
How Does Laser Help?
Laser therapy increases the production of ATP, which is the energy molecule in the body, to allow for much faster healing and a decrease in symptoms. Laser also breaks down internal scar tissue.
Get Help for Your Headaches or Migraines
If your head pain is sidelining you from what you love in life, help is available. You don’t have to suffer! Contact Atlas Spine & Wellness Care today to book an appointment.