Migraines and Cluster Headaches: What Is The Difference?

If you get intense or severe head pain, it may be more than just an ordinary headache. You may have a neurological disorder such as migraines or cluster headaches. Both of these conditions are extremely painful and can be debilitating.

While migraine attacks and cluster headaches are similar, there are distinct differences. Knowing what you have can help your doctor figure out the best treatment.  

Telling the Difference Between Migraines and Cluster Headaches

Migraines are much more common than cluster headaches. Some 37 million people suffer from migraines, while cluster headaches only affect 200,000 to one million people. Both migraines and cluster headaches cause severe head pain, typically on one side of the head and/or around the forehead. Beyond that, they have some distinctly different symptoms. 

Usually, migraine sufferers will feel an attack coming a day or two in advance. Migraines may make you feel nauseous or cause vomiting or may cause disturbances in your vision.

The pain of a migraine headache is usually pulsing or throbbing and can last for hours to days. During an attack, the sufferer may find relief sitting still in a dark, quiet room.

Cluster headaches are sudden and can strike without warning. Many people describe the pain as being stabbed in the eye with a hot poker. It is an excruciating, stabbing pain that can last from about 15 minutes to three hours. Sufferers may get a runny nose, teary eyes, or swelling around the eyes. 

Because the pain is so intense, cluster headache patients don't usually find relief by sitting quietly—they will become agitated and may move around a lot, pacing or rocking. 

Cluster headaches are not isolated incidents. A patient will get one or more of these headaches each day for weeks or months. Then, the patient will go into remission for a few months, possibly a year. The clusters inevitably return though, and the cycle repeats. 

How We Can Help Patients with Migraines or Cluster Headaches

Both migraines and cluster headaches are neurological conditions, often caused by a disruption of the nerve signals. Vital nerves branch out from the brain stem and wrap around your head. When there is a misalignment of the upper cervical spine—which begins just below the brain stem and runs down the neck—it can cause inflammation and swelling, nerve compression, or pinched nerves. This causes nerve signals to misfire and can cause conditions such as migraines and cluster headaches. 

Dr. Gordon Elder of the Blair Chiropractic Clinic in Lubbock, Texas specializes in treating the upper cervical spine. Dr. Elder uses the Blair Chiropractic Technique, a gentle technique that does not involve the abrupt twists and cracks associated with traditional chiropractic care. 

The Blair technique is gentle, allowing doctors to use a light touch thanks to a more precise diagnostic process. Blair practitioners utilize state-of-the-art 3D imaging tools to help assess the health of the spine and calculate misalignments. This allows the doctor to apply low-force pressure in exact areas for a non-invasive, safe, painless correction. 

Dr. Elder's first step is to perform a screening to pinpoint any problems that may be causing nerve compression. The second step involves making corrections, paving the way for the body's natural healing processes to take over. 

As the healing process continues, the nerves begin functioning properly again, bringing relief to many sufferers of migraines and cluster headaches. Many report headache episodes are fewer and farther between, and less severe in general. 

The third and final step is to prevent problems in the future. Dr. Elder recommends regular chiropractic check-ups to ensure that the upper cervical spine remains in a healthy state so that problems are averted. 

Don't let migraines or cluster headaches rob you of your vitality. Contact Dr. Elder to see if upper cervical care is right for you. Dr. Elder sees patients in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, and El Paso in Texas, as well as Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

Upper Cervical vs Regular Chiropractic: Is There A Difference

Adding regular checkups with a chiropractor can be a great addition to your regular health and wellness routine. The spine is a vital part of the body, and healthcare that includes the spine can help you avoid a variety of pains and illnesses. 

Chiropractors are not all the same; they use different techniques and methods and may specialize in different areas. For general chiropractic care and treatment, you will probably have two choices: a traditional chiropractor and an upper cervical chiropractor. 

Here is the difference and what you need to know so that you can make an informed choice. 

What Is a Traditional Chiropractor?

Traditional chiropractors are what most people think of when they imagine a chiropractor—treatment involves snaps, twists, and cracks of the neck and back. Traditional chiropractors sometimes will take X-rays of the spine before making adjustments, and the process is then the same for each patient. 

For an injury or illness, traditional chiropractic services usually require frequent visits at first (often three times per week). After a few months treatments may drop down to once per week, or once or twice per month. 

What Is Upper Cervical Care? 

Upper cervical care specialists focus on the upper cervical spine. This part of the spine consists of the vertebrae in the neck and upper back, as it is in this area of the spine where the majority of spinal misalignments begin. The neck is the most vulnerable area susceptible to injuries. Misalignments of the upper cervical spine are usually the root cause of problems that cascade down the rest of the spine. 

Upper cervical care involves more comprehensive diagnostic screening to assess and pinpoint areas of concern. Corrections are not jarring or painful, but gentle and precise. Corrections also hold longer, requiring fewer visits and speedier healing. 

How Our Upper Cervical Care Treatment Works

Dr. Gordon Elder is an upper cervical spine specialist, trained as an expert in the Blair Chiropractic Technique. This modern technology utilizes state-of-the-art technology and low-pressure corrections to help restore proper alignment. Treatment is then focused on retaining the alignment so that the body can facilitate healing and resume optimal functioning. 

Dr. Elder begins treatments with a thorough screening. The screening involves a consultation and advanced 3D diagnostic imaging tools to assess and calculate the spine to detect even the most minute misalignments. 

With 3D imaging, the doctor can then apply precise corrections using low-pressure techniques, gently coaxing the spine back into proper alignment. When aligned, this will reduce pain, and inflammation, and allow nerve function to resume so that the body can begin the healing process. 

In follow-up visits, the doctor will check that the alignment holds so the body can continue healing. After initial treatments, the doctor recommends regular check-ups for preventative care so that wellness can be maintained. 

Call the Blair Chiropractic Clinic for an appointment to see how Dr. Elder can help you. We provide service to the areas of Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, and El Paso in Texas, as well as Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Can Treat Cluster Headaches

What Are Cluster Headaches? 

Everyone suffers from the occasional headache, but cluster headaches are some of the most painful types of headaches you can have. They involve clusters or patterns of severe pain. These attacks can last anywhere from 15 minutes to about three hours, but the worst part is that they are repetitive. Cluster headaches will reoccur frequently for about four to six weeks. 

Every few months, cluster headache attacks will start up again. During these attack periods, the pain can be debilitating. Cluster headaches can interfere with your job, your daily chores, and activities, and make it difficult to do anything you enjoy. Even when you're in remission between cluster attacks, knowing the pain will be back again is very stressful. 

Signs and Symptoms of Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are among the most painful type of headaches, usually felt in the front of the head behind the eye. It usually occurs on only one side of the head. The pain has been described as feeling like a hot poker has been jabbed in the eye.

In addition to pain, cluster headaches may involve swelling or drooping of the eyelid. Some sufferers experience congestion, a sweaty forehead, or watery eyes.

For a few weeks, sufferers will experience headaches every day or two (sometimes multiple times per day). The headaches will then cease for a period of remission, which usually lasts from six to twelve months. 

Cluster headaches are more likely to affect men between the ages of 20 and 40. 

How Does the Upper Cervical Spine Affect Cluster Headaches

Medical researchers are not sure what exactly causes cluster headaches, but it is believed to have something to do with abnormalities in the function of the hypothalamus. This is the part of the brain that regulates many of the body's functions. 

Some promising research suggests the issue may stem from a misalignment of the upper cervical spine. The upper cervical spine begins just below the brain stem, at the base of the skull, and runs down the neck and into the upper back. It is comprised of the uppermost seven vertebrae, which carry the weight of the head. The top two vertebrae form the atlantoaxial joint, which allows the head to move and pivot. 

When the vertebrae in the upper cervical spine are misaligned, it can cause inflammation and pinched nerves that disrupt nerve signals in the brain. This can impair the function of the hypothalamus. 

How the Blair Chiropractic Technique Can Help Relieve Cluster Headache Pain

The Blair Chiropractic Technique is a modern technique that focuses specifically on the health of the upper cervical spine. Unlike traditional chiropractic treatment with twists and jerks, specialists in the Blair technique use gentle manipulations to help correct misalignments. This is because alignments are more precise, as Blair practitioners use advanced technology to calculate misalignments. 

Dr. Gordon Elder is an expert in the Blair Chiropractic Technique. An exam begins with screening using digital 3D diagnostic tools. After screening, Dr. Elder makes gentle, swift corrections to help coax the spine back into a properly aligned state. Once this is done, the body's natural healing processes can commence so that nerve function will resume. 

After the initial treatment, follow-up exams will ensure that the alignment is holding in place and healing is progressing. Dr. Elder recommends patients return for regular check-ups as a preventative measure to prevent new problems. 

Don't allow cluster headaches to cause problems in your life, making all of your daily activities difficult for weeks at a time. Call Dr. Elder to see if a misalignment of the spine is the root cause of the problem. Dr. Elder treats patients in Lubbock, Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, and El Paso in Texas, as well as Hobbs in New Mexico. 

Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.