Current evidence that chiropractic spinal manipulation and acupuncture improve tension-type headaches is encouraging.
Tension-type headaches are the most common form of primary headaches in the general population and like all headache complaints, requires an adequate treatment.
Tension-type headaches are essentially defined as a bilateral headache of a pressing or tightening quality without a known medical cause. A tension headache is generally a diffuse, mild to moderate pain that’s often described as feeling like a tight band around the head or a big weight over the head or shoulders. It is seldom pulsating unless the pain is severe. A non-pulsating, pressing pain is the most common complaint plus tenderness of the scalp, especially in the temporal areas.
A common cause of tension-type headache is disproportionate spasm of the temporal muscle. If the temporal muscle becomes spastic this could activate the free nerve endings in front of the head, resulting in tension-type headache symptoms. It is well known that chiropractic manipulation reduces tension of the temporal muscle by restoring normal gliding of the skull fascia and upper cervical vertebrae with the adjacent muscular fibers. This is an essential starting point to restore normal sensory nerves’ impulse and treatment plan designed for effective treatment of chronic tension-type headaches.
