Headaches & Stress

Stress can be a major contributor to headaches. In this article, Dr. William Morgan explains how stress affects your well-being and how it is related to getting headaches. He also discusses the most common ways stress can make you more headache-prone.

While most of us do not get enough sound, restful, and restorative sleep as it is, stress can interfere with both the quantity and quality of sleep we do get. If you’re tossing and turning all night, your body won’t have the opportunity to refresh itself, and this can add tension to your morning. If you then consume a lot of caffeine to help get you through the day, it can lead to a vicious cycle by hindering your ability to sleep the following night.

How we react to stress also affects us. Some of us literally “take it out” on our bodies, channeling the stress into our neck and shoulders. This can cause tension-type headaches where the muscles at the back of your neck become tight. “Knots” can develop in the muscles, sending shooting pains into your head.

Stress can affect us by disrupting our normal healthy routine. Instead of eating right and exercising, we resort to eating junk foods and avoiding the gym. Overeating and not maintaining a healthy weight can add to the stress on the body, the spine, and the heart. Studies have shown that the risk for headaches is higher among those who are overweight or obese.

A lot of us think we handle stress well and just need a two-week vacation to get back on track. But really, two weeks off does little to change your life for the other fifty weeks during the year. The key is to learn how to handle and deal with stressors on a “day to day” basis. The presence of back pain or neck pain can also add stress to your life by making your everyday activities more difficult. If that’s you, please see your doctor of chiropractic.

If you are experiencing headaches due to stress, it’s important to seek professional help. At Morgan Chiropractic, we offer chiropractic care that can help alleviate your headaches. Our experienced chiropractors can help you manage your stress and improve your overall well-being. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.