Headaches affect a large population in the United States and symptoms can range from uncomfortable to unbearable depending on the severity. The pain can be so bad it affects your ability to work and maintain relationships. Although some may be caused by high blood pressure, cancer, hormonal imbalances, caffeine withdrawals, illness, stress, blunt trauma, etc., based on my experience as a Chiropractor, the majority of headaches stem from three main causes: spinal and cranial misalignments, food sensitivities, and/or jaw problems. There are many over-the-counter medications which mask headaches, but if you forget to take them, you are out of luck. Being a slave to pain killers is not the best long term solution to this problem. By being proactive and following the upcoming advice you might be able to conquer or reduce your headaches. Misalignments Many people experience relief or elimination of pain simply by getting your neck and cranial bones re-aligned by a Chiropractor. If your Chiropractor prescribes exercises, do them! Certain exercises help improve your spinal curves which will improve your alignment. Besides cervical adjustments, cranial treatments do wonders to help with headaches. Food Sensitivities Food sensitivities are real and can trigger headaches and I have seen more cases of this than I ever would have imagined. Food sensitivities may be to foods which don’t seem obvious. Here’s a true life example: A patient of mine experienced migraines for five years. Coincidentally, she was taking fish oil at the same time because she heard about its benefits. It’s true, fish oil is great for a large percentage of people, unfortunately, she was not one of them. I recommended she substitute fish oil for flax seed oil. The results after making this simple switch — no more migraines! Keep a food log to help you look for correlations between the foods you’re consuming and your headaches. Jaw Problems Wear a mouth guard if you grind your teeth. Jaw clenching can cause headaches. You might not even be aware you are guilty of this. I recommend you see a dentist who could make a custom mouth guard for you. Take a proactive approach and see if these changes help with your headaches. If you want more information, check out my video on headaches Click Here. “This article is intended for informational purposes only and is not meant to diagnose or treat any condition or disease.” Dr. Horning grew up in a holistic home. He studied at the University of Maryland and received the unique degree of Agriculture and Resource Economics. He received his Chiropractic Doctorate at Southern California University of Health Sciences. Dr. Horning is a Chiropractor practicing in Laguna Hills CA. An eternal optimist, Dr. Horning cares about restoring health and allowing his patients to flourish in whatever goals they have.