Winchester chiropractor, Mark Kennedy talks headaches

This month the Winchester chiropractor is focussing attention on headache sufferers.Mark Kennedy says, "We see many patients who say that they suffer a “normal” number of headaches and I wonder just how many is a normal number? Research suggests that 20-30% of the population suffer headaches, women 3-4 times more commonly than men. An American consumer report found that the top two conditions for which people were most dissatisfied with their medical care were chronic headaches (24%) and lower back pain (19%). So headaches are common and Winchester residents aren’t happy with the treatment they are getting for them, so if you suffer, what should you do?"We start with a thorough history of your headaches, where are they, how severe, how frequent, when did they begin? etc… All patients then need an examination of their nervous system, eyes, hearing, balance, facial sensation and function as well as an assessment of joint and muscle condition in the head, neck and shoulders. It is important to remember that the majority of headaches are benign (NOT related to a life threatening condition) and are treatable.Headaches are commonly triggered by neck joint and muscle dysfunction causing referred pain into the head. These type of tension headache respond well to joint manipulation, massage and exercise, we chiropractors specialise in the use of these techniques. Other triggers include dietary factors such as consumption of caffeine, red wine, chocolate, pickles, cured/smoked meats, aged cheese, sugar/artificial sweeteners and foods containing yeast. Dehydration can play its part as can a change in your sleep patterns. Emotional stress will also trigger an increase in muscle tension in the neck and shoulders likely to provoke headache symptoms in those prone.Treatment is available for you and at Winchester Sports and Spine. Qualified and experienced chiropractors and physiotherapists will perform all the necessary tests to accurately diagnose your headache condition and either provide the appropriate care or in the rare situations where there is a need for referral to another specialist we will communicate quickly with your GP to expedite this.The important thing is not to just accept your symptoms as normal. All pain is your body’s way of letting you know it’s not happy, balanced and well. Your headache can probably be treated successfully. To make a diagnosis easy to obtain we are making March our Focus on Headache month and reducing our New Patient consultation fee to £30 (consultation, examination (including x-rays if appropriate). ZERO is the only normal number of headaches, how many do you  suffer? Call 01962 843242 and speak to our friendly reception staff about a new patient consultation.