More and more people today are finding life stressful. Our lives are super-busy and the strains of modern living can result in feeling stressed, with a feeling of being unable to cope or of having no control. For many, stress can have a huge impact on their physical health as well as their mental well-being. With National Stress Awareness Day falling on November 5th this year this is the ideal time to discuss the subject.
WHAT CAUSES STRESS?
Stress can result from any number of situations that overwhelm you, such as:
• Being under pressure at work or school.
• Facing unwanted changes.
• Excessive worrying or losing control over a situation.
• Financial worries or illness.
• Boredom following a change of lifestyle like retirement.
Apart from the impact which stress has on psychological health your physical well-being can take a battering too. One of the effects we are often called upon to treat is stress-induced migraines and headaches. Indeed treatment for migraines is one of our specialities.
DON’T JUST ‘PUT UP WITH IT’
Whatever the reason for your stress, there’s no doubt it can be made much worse by the onset of physical illness or pain. One of the areas most affected is the head and neck. When you are stressed, worried or anxious you will tend to carry a great deal of tension in your upper back and neck. This can aggravate migraines and tension headaches. The first port of call for headache treatment is usually the medicine cabinet but painkilling tablets, while offering temporary relief, can only ever mask the problem of stress-induced headaches. To obtain a more long-term and effective solution for migraine headaches you may find that a visit to a chiropractor is what you need.
Although there may be different reasons for headaches and migraines all of them will present broadly similar symptoms. A combination of chiropractic manipulation, soft tissue work and exercise has shown to be much more effective than painkillers alone. A chiropractor will take a complete history of your symptoms, examine your posture and movement as well as other issues which may be affecting you. This will help them to devise a programme of treatment and get you on the road to a migraine-free life.
Don’t wait any longer. The sooner you can be rid of your headaches the sooner you can start to enjoy life again. Why not book a consultation and see what chiropractic assistance can do for you?