Are Headaches Caused by a Deficiency of Pain-Killers?
I love teaching people about the amazing ability their body has for healing itself.
And sometimes I do that by making a joke.
Are headaches caused by a lack of pain-killer?
Obviously, the answer is no.
So, then why do so many people turn to pain-killers for headaches? Some of them even chronically turn to pain-killers for chronic headaches.
Well, I think the main reason is convenience and immediacy.
If you’re at work and struggling to concentrate and be fully productive because of a headache, you’re willing to do whatever is quickest and easiest to get back to work.
But the very NAME of those pills (“pain-killer”) says a lot about why this may not be the wisest approach in the long run.
First, there are serious downstream consequences to prolonged pain-killer use. Kidney and liver function can be harmed.
But more importantly, the underlying CAUSE is left unaddressed only to return again and again to be masked with more and more pain-killers. It’s a maddening cycle.
To use humour again, it would be like having the “Check Engine” light show up on your car’s dashboard only to cover it up with black tape (ask your mechanic if “Engine-Light Killer Tape” is right for you).
I blame the modern world for this thinking.
Everything is instant and microwaveable.
Whether we’re talking about investing for retirement, raising your children, or building/maintaining good health the FOUNDATIONAL things in life require taking the less-convenient, but better-overall approach.
Everyone KNOWS how important it is to start investing early, and how children need regular teaching and time to develop well, and that a heathy lifestyle is absolutely critical.
But MOST people don’t do those things.
The average Canadian family saves just 5% of their earnings for retirement. And many then tap into those savings when an unaffordable expense like a blown engine or a major home repair comes up. (The insane increases in the cost of living lately don’t make this any easier, but that’s the subject of a blog post for some other day).
And as for exercise, just 15% of Canadian adults consistently exercise 3 times per week for 30 minutes each time.
Here’s the other problem: many people are uncertain about the underlying CAUSE of headaches.
Stress and certain foods may TRIGGER headaches. And if they do, it’s fairly obvious that they are triggering and that makes it easier to take the right action (reduce or manage stress better, eliminate or avoid certain foods).
But there is one major cause of headaches that is poorly understood and can be invisible to most people: spinal misalignments.
As you can imagine, if the bones in your neck are misaligned, they’re going to irritate the adjacent muscles (by stretching some of them), and they’re going to irritate the adjacent nerves exiting that part of the spine.
This is actually one of the most common causes of headaches AND one of the most correctable.
Specific chiropractic adjustment and home exercises can restore the proper alignment and movement to your spine, removing the underlying problem that things like stress and certain foods TRIGGER.
Although traumas like car accidents and sports injuries can cause those spinal misalignments, the most common cause is progressive postural decay that results from things we do frequently (like working with a computer and phone at work 40+ hours per week).
Dr. Colin has been delivering complimentary in-office lunch and learn talks on Ergonomics, Posture, and Spinal Decay at businesses across Calgary for over 10 years. Email at drcolin@livelifewell.ca for to receive more information.
If you’re one of the millions of Canadians managing headaches with pain-killers and you’re ready to look at a way to stop that and correct the underlying problem, the first step is a complete spinal exam with x-rays to determine if you’re a candidate for our spinal corrective care.
https://www.livelifewell.ca/book
As always, with love.
Dr. Colin