Your Headache May Be Coming From Your Neck, Not Your Sinuses
Many people suffer from what are believed to be sinus headaches. These are the headaches that cause discomfort and hurt over the front of the face and forehead. Some people even get sinus infections which it is felt, lead to sinus headaches. Surprisingly however, a recent study from November 2011 begs to differ. Researchers had 58 patients who clearly seemed to have sinusitis, which is a sinus irritation, examined by specialists including a neurologist and an ear, nose and throat specialist, called an otolaryngologist. The examination found that only 3 of the patients had a sinus problem. The remaining 55 did not have a sinus condition but were instead suffering from migraine and tension-type headaches.
This, of course, means that many people having headaches are being misdiagnosed and consequently treated inappropriately with antibiotics and possibly with sinus surgery. It is commonly known that antibiotic therapy has side effects: stomach and intestinal irritation, nausea and if one is allergic antibiotics, a potentially life-threatening condition called anaphylactic shock. Also it has been recommended that antibiotics only be prescribed if, and only if, there is a confirmed bacterial infection. This is mainly because it has been found that bacteria are progressively becoming immune to our common antibiotics. If this trend continues, the day may come when we are unable to treat bacterial infections effectively with any medication. None of us want to return to a world where one has to be gravely worried over a small skin cut or scrape. Sinus surgery has the potential risks of complications of anesthesia and operation-caused infections.
If migraine and tension headaches are the true source of the headaches, what is to be done in the way of treatment?
Fortunately a wise choice in the treatment of headaches is chiropractic care. One research publication released in 2010 found that both migraine and tension-type headaches actually come from irritated areas in the upper bones of the neck, called vertebrae, which can irritate nerves and joints which is where the headaches originate. By using various forms of gentle, safe manipulation, chiropractic treatment is also a very cost-effective approach to helping this disabling condition. Chiropractors in the United States are licensed and regulated by the state in with they practice and take on going continuing education classes.
Instead of possible inappropriate treatment of antibiotics or surgery for sinus headaches, the treatment of choice has been found to be best performed by doctors of chiropractic.