Is adhesion causing your headache?

If you are like 50% of the adult population in the United States you have had a headache in the last year.

According to the World Health Organization, headache disorders are among the most common nervous system disorders.(1)

Most of us think the source of headaches is from stress or too much time spent staring at a screen–most times both. But what if I told you there is a very common condition that could be the source of your headaches. You would want to know that right? This condition is known as muscle adhesion and is responsible for those tight/sore muscles you feel at the base of your skull. Adhesion is also the cause of the constant stress and tension you feel in your neck.

Healthy upper neck motion and muscles can significantly improve headaches.

There is one very easy test that can be done at home to verify if adhesion is the primary reason for your constant headaches. All you need is a wall. First, stand with your heels, butt, and back of your head against a wall. The next step is to make a double chin while keeping the back of your head on the wall. Follow these two pictures:

Before

Upper neck test start position. Keep heels, back and shoulders touching the wall.

After

Upper neck test end position. Healthy motion is smooth, pain-free, and easy.

When the muscles are healthy you should feel a fairly light pull at the end of the motion. If you notice your shoulders moving, chest pushing out, tension, tightness, pain, or any other symptom you have adhesion in the neck muscles. This is a big deal!

So why do these muscles cause a headache?

The small muscles at the top of the neck have direct attachments to the skull and to the covering of the spinal cord. Adhesion makes those muscles less flexible and weaker while the stress put directly on the skull and nervous system has dramatically increased. These small muscles are getting extremely over-worked and tired. Over time, there is significantly more stress put on the all the muscles in the surrounding area. The net result are those frequent headaches you can’t seem to shake.

Fortunately, the doctors at Functional Spine and Sport specialize in finding and fixing adhesion. Dr. Nottoli and Dr. Schultz are the 2 most experienced Integrative Diagnosis providers within 100 miles of Chicago for treating chronic muscle, nerve, and joint problems.

If you are experiencing headaches and want a long term solution call the experts today! 224-206-7050

1.   Headache disorders. (2016, April). Retrieved September 07, 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/