﻿ Cold Laser For Headaches Treatment

Chiropractor Chandler AZ

Carson Robertson
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Tension headaches can be a mild annoyance, or they can be severely debilitating. I'm often amazed when people come into the office saying they are getting 4 to 6 headaches a week. The headaches tend to start in the upper neck and move toward the front of the head. The frequency of headaches increase over time, from 1-2 a month to occurring on a daily basis. This is when they finally start seeking out remedies and methods to control the headaches.

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Tension headaches can be caused by a variety of factors. One of the most common causes we see in the chiropractic office is pain and irritation of the upper back and neck muscles, tendons, and joints. Poor posture overworks this area, triggering a sequence of events that lead to tension headaches.

Headache sufferers are well aware of the basic patterns and headache triggers. If their work requires significant periods of computer usage, they notice more headaches, especially in the afternoon and evening hours. The headaches are usually worse at the end of the work week or after several long days.

The increased headaches are a result of their head and neck leaning forward, which places a greater workload on the neck and upper back muscles. These muscles eventually become fatigued and overwhelmed. Headache sufferers know they get some relief with over-the-counter pain relievers or NSAIDS, rest, ice, light stretching, and changing positions. During the progression of their headache, there is always a point in time when rest and ice will reduce the headaches intensity. However, there is also a point of no return, where their headaches will be severe and will not improve with rest, ice, or NSAIDs.

Conservative Treatments


Graston Technique neck pain headaches


Treatment for headache symptoms may involve many prescription, over the counter, herbal, and homeopathic remedies. The neck muscles need to function appropriately and not remain in spasms, which alters neck spinal movements and postures. For those with arthritic degeneration in the cervical spine, restoring proper muscle function is even more important. This often requires people to change their postures, habits, and activities. Acupuncture has been known to help headache sufferers.

Working any muscles in the front of the neck is not comfortable, but it needs to be done to restore proper cervical and shoulder function. The neck, shoulder, scapula, and arm work as a functional unit to turn your head, raise your shoulder, or reach in front of you. Dysfunction in any of these muscles leads to pain and tendinopathy.

Medical Treatments


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Chiropractic Adjustive Techniques

Chiropractic adjustments attempt to increase the movement of the joint complex. With injury, poor posture, sprains, and strains, muscles tighten up and the joints can become locked up. This lack of movement is felt when you look over your shoulder and feel a pulling, dull pain, or a twinge of pain. Mildly stuck joints can be loosened up in the day with stretching and range of motion exercises. Moderately stuck joints often need a little help to restore their normal motion with chiropractic adjustments. Severely stuck joints cause sharp and severe pain whenever they put pressure upon the joint or try and move the joint complex.

Joint complex injuries are common whenever a patient says they have pain when sitting or standing too long, or the pain always "starts right here." Pressing on an injured joint causes pain, and people noticed reduced range of motion looking over their shoulder.


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There are several very gentle ways to adjust an injured neck joint, including Activator Technique and Thompson Drop Technique. Activator utilizes a spring load instrument "bump" the joint and increase joint motion before the muscles tighten up. Thompson Drop Technique utilizes specific tables that drop two inches to increase the motion without turning or rotating the neck. Learn more about types of chiropractic adjustments.

In Conclusion


physical therapist neck

Many therapeutic exercises can help restore proper strength and endurance to the neck, shoulder, upper back, and arm muscles. Isometric exercises are often the initial treatment exercises. Followed by single plane rubber band exercises for elbow flexion, extension, lateral flexion, abduction, and adduction movements. Dynamic exercises involving stability ball push-ups can be performed on the wall or floor. The more unstable of the surface the more effort and stabilization is required of all the upper extremity muscles.

