WITH more than seven million Australians suffering from debilitating tension headaches, and more than 4.9 million suffering chronic migraine, the economic impact to Australia exceeds $35.7 billion annually.
But the real cost to headache sufferers is immeasurable.
The burden that headaches have on quality of life robs sufferers of essential relaxation, social activities and precious time with children, family and friends.
During national Spinal Health Week, which begins on May 22, the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) aims to tackle spine-related headaches head-on by increasing awareness of the painful condition and limit the impact headaches have on the quality of life for over 46 per cent of Australians.
Mid-Murray Chiropractic’s Dr Josh Cutrell, chiropractor and member of the ACA, said studies have shown that some of the most common cause of headaches are stress and spinal health conditions.
“The connection between spinal health conditions, especially of the neck, and headaches is well recognised in research,” Dr Josh said.
“It’s vital that headache sufferers have their spine examined and if appropriate, seek early, effective, drug-free chiropractic care.
“Along with some simple lifestyle changes, this can go a long way to relieve or reduce the incidence of headache and migraine and help people take back control of their life.”
ACA president David Cahill believes headaches can have huge ramifications on a person’s life, such as reducing productivity in the workplace and impacting on students’ concentration levels.
“They can range from a mild inconvenience that takes the enjoyment out of hobbies and social activities, through to being severe and completely disabling,” Dr Cahill said.
“With a range of specialised chiropractic techniques tailored to the individual, consulting an ACA accredited chiropractor is a positive step to providing drug-free solutions to the more common types of headaches and migraines.”
Dr Cahill said while pain medications can provide temporary relief, they are a “Band-Aid solution”, and do not get to the cause of the headache itself.
“When it comes to managing headaches, best practice should be to look beyond simple relief and see if there is an underlying cause which can be effectively addressed,” he said.
“An ACA accredited chiropractor is well educated and equipped to do this.”
To download a free ACA Headache Factsheet, visit spinalhealthweek.org.au
