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Day-to-day headaches may not be deadly, but when they crop up, they certainly make it difficult to enjoy life. When one arrives, some people stay on the job and try to distract themselves with junk food or other indulgent coping mechanisms. Others use it as an excuse to check out of their responsibilities for a few hours, but this can wreak havoc on your productivity. Most people don’t think twice about popping a few over the counter painkillers and hoping it goes away.
We spend more than 2.5 billion dollars a year on non-prescription pain medication, but should we lean on them as our “go to” solution? There are other options. It’s also notable that over the counter meds may not be as harmless as one would think! Acetaminophen can cause liver damage with only eight 500 milligram pills (which translates to eight extra strength Tylenol). The potential for liver damage is even greater if the person is still metabolizing alcohol from dinner. Because many over the counter medications (such as cold pills) contain acetaminophen, a person may not be monitoring his or her dosage effectively.
Ibuprofen and naproxen can be damaging to the lining of the stomach; over use of these drugs can contribute to gastritis or ulcers. And although it’s rare and contingent on co-existing factors (diabetes or high blood pressure), they can also be a risk for kidney failure. NSAIDS may reduce the effectiveness of anti-depressants. They may ramp up the effect of blood thinners to a dangerous degree. And the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that women are twice as likely to miscarry when they take NSAIDS during the first twenty weeks of pregnancy.
This is not to say that over the counter headache medicines are dangerous when used in moderation! But when we compare the long-term effects and potential side effects of pill popping to manual and manipulative therapies, that aisle of the drug store looks far less attractive than the chiropractor’s office.
After all, that bottle of pills does nothing to target the actual causes of your pain. And it will do absolutely nothing to keep it from coming back. If you have frequent or severe headaches, hands-on treatment at Roman Chiropractic & Rehab Center is a good way to address the actual cause.
Headaches can be brought about by a number of factors. A surprisingly high percentage of your headaches may be caused by tense muscles in the neck, shoulders, and back. It may seem that the headache was brought about by mental stresses at work, but manual therapy treatments that target your neck and shoulder muscles and joint functionality may be the long-term physical solution you need.
Our doctor can help determine what is causing your headaches and recommend therapies to lessen their severity and frequency. You may not be aware of postural problems, jaw clenching, joint dysfunction, or many other factors that are contributing to the problem.
When we identify and address any underlying physical problems, the same mental/stress problems that appear to be the cause will no longer trigger them as often or as severely.