Headaches in Children

With children going back to school, they may be experiencing an increase in headaches. Headaches are often due to an increase in stress, change in diet or sleep, eye strain or could be from another cause. There are some cases where further examination is needed to determine if your child’s headaches are a result of something more serious.

Children’s headaches can often be managed with a conservative approach. Usually it consists of relaxation therapy, exercising, proper diet, avoiding triggers and understand postural stresses.

Often seeing a chiropractor to address postural stresses and understand which muscles are under more tension can alleviate headaches. Keep in mind, every one’s bodies will respond differently to stress. Some carry stress on the top of their shoulders and some in their neck. By addressing these areas, they can reduce headaches, reduce pain, improve function and address other causes that may be causing the headaches.

By introducing a relaxation or breathing technique into their day, they can learn to down regulate their bodies to allow for stress to be managed better. This allows their parasympathetic (rest, digest) nervous system to engage to reduce the sympathetic (fight/flight) nervous system response.

If you child is experiencing headaches, be sure to get them assess by a medical professional to determine the proper course of treatment.