Migraines vs. Headaches: Here's What You Should Know

You’ve likely experienced a headache at some point in your life, because they aren’t uncommon. Stress from work and lack of sleep can bring them on in a heartbeat, but what if it’s actually a migraine instead? Learning the signs of a migraine versus a headache can help you avoid the pain down the road.

At Pinnacle Health Chiropractic, our team helps you get relief from both migraines and headaches through a number of different therapies. Dr. Jason Ablett is our in-house chiropractic specialist, who gets you the treatment you need when you just can’t seem to kick your headaches on your own.

Common types of headaches

Headaches are something that you may get every once in a while, but they usually go away on their own. However, some types of headaches are more severe than others, and exhibit different signs and symptoms.

Headaches often lead to aching or throbbing in your head, and pressure that may last for hours at a time. The pain usually affects both sides of your head, and can make your day pretty miserable. There are several common forms of headaches, and they include:

Tension headaches

These headaches are often brought on by extreme stress or anxiety. They may also come on after a muscle strain in your neck or upper back.They often affect both sides of your head, and the pain may creep into your neck as well.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are a very severe form of headache that usually affects only one side of your head. They’re named, because they often come in waves, or clusters, which are then followed by periods of relief.

Sinus headaches

This type of headache usually occurs when you have a cold or sinus infection. The pain is often located between your eyes and comes in conjunction with other signs like congestion and facial pressure.

All of these may be confused for a migraine, but they are in fact very different.

How are migraines different?

While migraines do cause intense pain in your head, they’re very different from other types of headaches. Migraines are often very severe, and make getting through the day extremely difficult. 

Migraines also cause you to suffer from other symptoms as well, besides pain in your head. These symptoms may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Light sensitivity
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to sound

Some migraines come on after you have an aura. An aura before a migraine is like a warning sign that the migraine is coming. You may have heightened sensory responses during the aura, some of which include:

• Speech problems
• Temporary vision changes
• Seeing flashing lights
• Ear ringing
• Tingling on your skin

If you get migraines, any of the above signs may be a signal that one is just around the corner. Often, migraines last much longer than headaches, sometimes for up to three days. The intensity of the migraine may be so severe that you need to seek emergency care in order to get relief.

Treatments that may help

At our facility, Dr. Ablett helps you understand if you’re suffering from headaches or migraines. He gets the information he needs to help you get to the bottom of what’s triggering them to occur, so you can finally get some relief.

The type of treatment that Dr. Ablett recommends depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches or migraines. Less severe headaches may require more conservative treatments, while aggressive migraines need a more direct approach.

Once Dr. Ablett gets an understanding of the pain you’re experiencing, he offers several types of therapy, including:

• Chiropractic adjustments
• Relaxation techniques
• Trigger point injections
• Nutritional help

All of these therapies may help you not only ease the pain of your headaches, but help to prevent them from coming on as often in the future.

If you’re having recurrent headaches or migraines, call our office today to get treatment today, or you can schedule an appointment online using the booking tool on our website.