Winter can be a time for celebrations, holidays, and making memories, but it can be a time of year when headaches become more common. Headaches come in different forms and have different causes, and you may be surprised to learn that the health of your spine has a lot to do with the development of headaches, especially during the winter.

At Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab, our chiropractors provide a variety of treatment options to alleviate headaches caused by spinal problems, including decompression therapy, manual adjustments, class IV cold laser therapy, and VitaBed full-body light therapy.

How Do Spine Problems Contribute to Headaches?

Your spine and central nervous system are intertwined. Problems along any part of your spine can contribute to pain and headaches because of this close-knit relationship.

To add to the complexity, your nerves connect to muscles, and muscle tension often leads to headaches. During the winter, your spine, joints, nerves, muscles, and more can all be affected by the cold weather in multiple ways contributing to the development of throbbing, aching head pain.

Below are some common types of headaches and their links to problems with the spine:

Cervicogenic Headaches – These headaches are directly caused by problems in the cervical spine, often from the overuse of technology. In many cases, tension and poor posture drive these headaches.

Migraine Headaches – Misalignment in the upper spine can impact blood flow and nerve signals, which may trigger or worsen migraines.

Cluster Headaches – Addressing cervical spine alignment issues may alleviate nerve irritation, potentially reducing the intensity or frequency of cluster headaches.

Rebound Headaches – By relieving muscle tension and spinal misalignments, chiropractic treatment can help reduce the need for pain medication, preventing rebound headaches.

Why Does Winter Weather Cause Headaches?

During the winter, there are several factors that can contribute to the development of headaches, including:

1. Stress and Fatigue

While many people look forward to winter holidays and family gatherings, there’s no question that this time of year can be stressful. Between family time, travel, planning get-togethers, and more, it’s easy to experience stress and fatigue during the winter rush.

Stress and tension headaches can be common due to all of the activity around the holidays, and end-of-year work stress doesn’t help either. All of this stress can also contribute to sleep problems, meaning your body may not have a chance to heal naturally.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help

At Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab, we can’t cook a holiday meal or wrangle your relatives for a party, but we can offer personalized solutions to help relieve stress and pressure on your spine. Through manual adjustments, decompression therapy, and state-of-the-art laser and VitaBed full-body light therapy, our team keeps your spine in balance to help you enjoy the winter months pain-free.

2. Reduced Physical Activity

By January, it gets pretty cold in the Charlotte area, making it difficult to get outdoors as often. Although we don’t get much snow in the area, we do get freezing temperatures and icy weather. Many people spend time indoors during the colder months, and this can mean engaging in sedentary activities more often.

Science has proven that a sedentary lifestyle can promote joint stiffness in the spine and elsewhere, and this can contribute to headaches. While it can be more challenging to remain mobile during the winter, it’s a good idea to find ways to stay active, even indoors.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help

If you’re suffering from a spine condition due to reduced physical activity, our chiropractors can provide you with personalized exercises and treatments to improve mobility and relieve pain. We restore natural function to allow your body’s natural healing abilities to take over. Our approach to pain relief can help you stay active, ultimately reducing the potential for future injury and pain.

3. Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a psychosomatic condition that is believed to be caused by a lack of sunlight during the winter months. People who suffer from SAD may experience mood changes and symptoms of depression, and clinically, they may have low levels of vitamin D which can contribute to the development of headaches.

SAD can also lead to lethargy, inactivity, poor nutrition choices, dehydration, and more. Combined, these behaviors can promote joint stiffness and pain, resulting in a vicious cycle that leads to increased odds of developing headaches.

How Your Chiropractor Can Help

At Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab, our offices in Waxhaw and Pineville provide relief from headaches caused by SAD in a variety of ways. In addition to manual therapy and class IV cold laser treatments that stimulate blood flow, we’re also proud to be one of only a few providers in North Carolina offering VitaBed full-body light therapy.

VitaBed full-body light therapy is a natural treatment that can improve mood and overall wellness as it bathes your body in soothing near-infrared light. As we address the symptoms of SAD using VitaBed full-body light therapy, patients often experience fewer headaches along with less pain.

Fight Headaches With a Holistic Approach to Wellness

Although the treatments available at Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab can address individual problems with the spine, we take a holistic approach to wellness. Using a variety of treatment modalities personalized to meet your needs, our chiropractic physicians can reduce headaches caused by spinal issues and give you your life back this winter.

Contact Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab to Say Goodbye to Headaches

If winter weather has got your head singing the blues, schedule an appointment with Carolinas Chiropractic and Spinal Rehab for personalized treatment. We provide service to the Charlotte Metro at our offices in Waxhaw and Pineville, and we’re proud to have received the 2024 Charlotte’s Best Award for best chiropractor from the Charlotte Observer.

Call our team today at (704) 243-1010 to schedule your appointment by phone, or schedule online right now!