What causes tension headaches? Can a chiropractor help?

Back in the mid to late nineties several researchers set out to find the cause of so called tension headaches (also known as cervicogenic headaches). They made a discovery that confirmed what many chiropractors already knew, and had the potential to change how headaches would from then on be treated. But, nothing changed. What happened? Maybe we were all too busy watching Bill and Monica on T.V., or maybe The Spice Girls had our rapt attention. Maybe over-the-counter pain meds for headaches is way too big of a business for a few researchers to compete with. I don’t know, but let me share with you what they found.
First of all, let’s talk a little about headaches. There are too many different kinds to even think about, but the broad categories are: tumor related, infection related, blood pressure related, lifestyle related (chemical, drug, alcohol, etc.), and everything else. If you don’t know what kind of headaches you are having, it is best that you visit a doctor and find out. If you have headaches that fall into the “everything else” category, then keep reading, this information is for you.
Surrounding our brain is a thin layer of very sensitive tissue called the dura mater. Through some advanced imaging, the researchers found that there is a small “tissue bridge” connecting this dura mater to the muscles of the cervical spine (neck). They further found that changes to the muscles of the cervical spine greatly affect what happens to the dura. Increased tension in the cervical muscles causes increased tension on the dura and results in kinks or folds in the dura. When this happens, it would be similar to wearing a hat too tight all day.
What causes changes in the muscles? Postural changes in the cervical spine, misalignments of the joints, and decreased mobility of the joints are the most common causes. These issues tend to either be caused by injury or more often just slowly occur over time.
A chiropractor specializes in adjusting or mobilizing the joints of the spine in order to restore normal motion and reduce the tension on the cervical muscles, thereby reducing the tension on the dura, resulting in reduction in headache intensity and frequency. A Chiropractor will examine your spine to determine if your headaches are cervicogenic in nature and either recommend a course of care or make the appropriate referral if necessary.