Category Archives: Headaches

Chiropractic, Headaches

Manual therapies for migraine: a systematic review

“The results of this study support previous results showing that some people report significant improvement in migraines after chiropractic adjustments. A high percentage (>80%) of participants reported stress as a major factor for their migraines. It appears probable that chiropractic care has an effect on the physical conditions related to stress and that in these people the effects of the migraine are reduced.”

“Migraine occurs in about 15% of the general population. Migraines are usually managed by medication, but some patients do not tolerate migraine medications due to side effects or prefer to avoid medications for other reasons. Non-pharmacological management is an alternative treatment option.  Researching random clinical trials (RCTs) on manual therapies for migraines we found that the RCTs suggest that massage therapy, physiotherapy, relaxation and chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy might be equally effective as propranolol and topiramate in the prophylactic management of migraines.”

A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Tuchin PJ, Pollard H, Bonello R. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2000 Feb;23(2):91-5

Chaibi A, Tuchin PJ, Russell MB. J Headache Pain. 2011 Apr;12(2):127-33

Chiro Blogs, Headaches

Migraines and Chiropractic: What The Research Shows

Migraines and Chiropractic: What The Research Shows

Many research studies support the use of chiropractic for the management of migraine headaches. Let’s take a look at the conclusions from few of these research articles.

In an Evidence Report published by Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Research Center for Clinical Health Policy Research, the effects of drug-free options for headache are discussed. The authors concluded the following: “Cervical spine manipulation was associated with improvement in headache outcomes in two trials involving patients with neck pain and or/neck dysfunction and headache. Manipulation appeared to result in immediate improvement in headache severity when used to treat episodes of cervicogenic headache when compared with an attention-placebo control. Furthermore, when compared to soft tissue therapies, a course of manipulation treatments resulted in sustained improvement in headache frequency and severity.”

McCrory DC, Penzien DB, Hasselblad V, Gray RN. Evidence Report: Behavioral and Physical Treatment for Tension-Type and Cervicogenic Headache. Duke University Evidence-Cased Practice Research Center for Clinical Health Policy Research.

“There was no advantage to combining amitriptyline and spinal manipulation for the treatment of migraine headache. Spinal manipulation seemed to be as effective as a well-established and efficacious treatment (amitriptyline), and on the basis of a benign side effects profile, it should be considered a treatment option for patients with frequent migraine headaches.”

The efficacy of spinal manipulation, amitriptyline and the combination of both therapies for the prophylaxis of migraine headache. Nelson CF, Bronfort G, Evans R, Boline P, Goldsmith C, Anderson AV.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1998 Oct;21(8):511-9.

“Evidence suggests that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches.”

Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache.

Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, Marcoux H, Potter B, Ruegg R, Shaw L, Watkin R, White E.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2011 Jun;34(5):274-89.

If you are suffering from headaches in Fairbanks, AK, call Spaulding Chiropractic Clinic today at 907-456-4234.

Chiro Blogs, Headaches

Headaches and Chiropractic

If you have a headache here in Fairbanks, AK,  you’re not alone. Nine out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Research shows that spinal manipulation – one of the primary treatments provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A 2014 report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain and increased benefit was shown in several instances where a multimodal approach to neck pain had been used1. Also, a 2011 JMPT study found that chiropractic care, including spinal manipulation, improves migraine and cervicogenic headaches2.

Headache Triggers
Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems. The remaining 95 percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease; the headache itself is the primary concern.

The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck. Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than in the past, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture (such as sitting in front of a computer). This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.

What Can You Do?
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) offers the following suggestions to prevent headaches:
If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.
Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.
Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?
Your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:
Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.
Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.
Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways beyond just treatment for low-back pain. They know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of the body, and they can take steps to relieve those problems.

» If you are suffering from headaches in Fairbanks, AK, call Spaulding Chiropractic Clinic today at 907-456-4234.

REFERENCES:

1. Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014; 37: 42-63.
2. Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011; 34: 274-89.

Chiropractic, Headaches

Headaches and Migraines

Headaches, Migraines In Fairbanks, AK

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.

What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative that is both natural, and better for your health.

Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. If you have headaches in Fairbanks, AK, the Chiropractors at Spaulding Chiropractic Clinic want to get to the cause of your headaches.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine headaches, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.

“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from Christiansburg, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

What Can You Do?

The Chiropractors at Spaulding Chiropractic Clinic suggest the following:

  • If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.
  • Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.
  • Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.
  • Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Dr. Moore says your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

  • Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
  • Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.
  • Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

“Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways – not just back pain,” says Dr. Moore.

If you are suffering from headaches in Fairbanks, AK, call Spaulding Chiropractic Clinic today at 907-456-4234.

Chiropractic, Headaches, Patient Success Stories

Migraine Miracle

Are you suffering from Migraine Headaches in Fairbanks?

Sometimes it is very frustrating to be a Chiropractor. With full intention, our philosophy is often in complete disagreement with conventional knowledge in the medical mainstream. We have to buck the trend and attempt to re-educate patients about the true causes of lack of health.  The effort for us is enormous, but the results are often life-changing for patients.

Here is a typical example:

I see patients that have fought with headaches for years. In one dramatic case, a patient had migraine headaches 2-3 times/wk for over 30 years! During this time she had seen various doctors and all had prescribed painkilling drugs, blood pressure medications, and even anti-depressants. Sometimes these drugs would offer short-term relief, but the headaches persisted and continued to destroy her quality of life. On our first visit she told me that her ability to be a mom and a grandma was very limited and that was what bothered her the worst. She also told me that she knew the drugs were only a temporary fix, but she just didn’t know what else to do. To make matters worse, the long-term medication use was also causing her to have digestive problems and various other health issues.

Looking at this case from a Chiropractic perspective was very frustrating indeed. For years this patient had been chasing symptoms with her doctors, but not one of the doctors ever stopped to ask what was actually causing the headaches. This is how most modern medicine works!

Chiropractors look first to the spine as a potential cause of migraine headaches. In fact, it is estimated that approximately 85% of headaches are cervicogenic.  This simply means that most headaches come from poor function of the bones in your neck. When the bones in your neck are in poor alignment or simply do not move the way nature intended, the delicate nerves in the upper neck may become irritated, and the result is often heachaches. These headaches will often be made worse with stress, which can add even more pressure to the nerves.

In the case of my patient who had suffered from migraine headaches in Fairbanks for 30 years, Chiropractic was  the miracle she was looking for.  Upon examination, it was determined that her neck was in very poor alignment and had greatly reduced motion. Xrays revealed degenerative disc disease, the result of years of poor motion. We discussed the importance of getting her neck bones moving properly and I explained to her how the Chiropractic adjustment would help to restore normal motion and alignment. At that point, she had her very first adjustment.  Almost immediately, the patient felt an enormous release of pressure from the base of her skull and said she couldn’t believe how much better her neck was feeling!

We agreed to see her every other day for the first two weeks in order to regain some of the lost motion in her neck and then reevaluate how she was feeling. After her first week of treatment she came in with tears in her eyes. She had gone the entire week without a migraine headache for the first time in 30 years!  We  addressed the true cause of her migraines and she no longer needed to suffer from headaches.  Just as important, she no longer needed to damage herself with long-term prescription use.

If you are suffering from migraine headaches in Fairbanks, give us a call. 907-456-4234. Help is just a phone call away. Life is too short to hurt!