In ancient Greece, the best-known remedy for a long-standing headache was to drill a small hole in the skull to drain supposedly infected blood. Fortunately, doctors today don’t resort to power tools to cure headaches, but we still have a lot to learn about this ancient ailment. Dan Kwartler shares what we know (and don't know) about headaches.
Lesson by Dan Kwartler, animation by Sharon Colman.
Dr. Pazdel explains and demonstrates the need for and fitting for orthotics to allow those with foot issues such as plantar fasciitis to be able to walk without pain. At Pazdel Chiropractic each client is custom fitted with exactly what is needed to help them best and then shoe inserts are custom made for that patient and for different types of shoes, such as tennis shoes, dress shoes, work shoes, and even sandals.
For people suffering from migraines, a non-invasive and safe way
to lessen migraine suffering is Chiropractic care. Not just anyone
should use chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is meant for patients
who are unable to use prescription medicine because the medicines make
them susceptible to other risk factors.
The cause of migraine
headaches is still unknown in spite of the major advances in medical
science that have been made in the last century. For this reason
migraine headaches are said to be idiopathic. There are several theories
that have been put forward to explain migraines and their causes. These
include genetic malformations, arterial swelling in the cranium and
serotin deficiency in the patient.
Another common theory
associated with chiropractic theory stipulates that migraine headaches
are caused by or in the least contributed to by subluxations in the
muscles situated at the base of the skull and the neck. Subluxations can
be defined as tense regions in the muscles adjacent to the upper spinal
cord small bones. Medical doctors most often than not miss the tension
since on an X-ray the bones appear to be in their correct positions.
What a chiropractor does is relax the subluxations by manipulating the
spine.
Mixed chiropractic and straight chiropractic are the two
methods that a chiropractor uses to care for the migraine patients. Only
the manipulation of the spinal subluxations and spine are involved when
straight chiropractic technique is used. Mixed chiropractic however
involves the combination of conventional manipulation and other
complementary methods. Mixed chiropractic focuses on reducing the
overall neck strain and tension.
A comparison between drug
therapies and chiropractic care for chronic tension headaches and
migraines was made recently by researchers from Northwestern College of
Chiropractic. The college is in Minnesota. The result of the research
was published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological
Therapeutics. 218 patients were used in the research. Each patient was
either given regular chiropractic care or drug therapy. At the end of
the study the two groups each reported a forty to fifty percent drop in
the headache pain.
After four weeks (four weeks from when all care
was discontinued) a follow up on the patients from both groups was
carried out and it revealed that the only patients who still had reduced
headaches are the ones belonging to the chiropractic group. As for the
drug therapy group, only twenty to twenty five percent of the patients
still had the reduced headache pains as a result of the drug therapy
administered earlier.
The aches and pains of many back pain sufferers are keeping them
from living their life normally and a chiropractor or an osteopath is
one of the finest options. Through hands-on spinal manipulation,
chiropractic can handle specific lower back pain issues which is unlike
massage therapy.
The following are treatment goals of chiropractic techniques...
The re-establishment of normal spine flexibility
Spinal nerve discomfort relief
The normal condition of altered nerve reflexes are restored
Chiropractors
(sometimes misspelled "chiropracters") attain these targets by focusing
on areas of subluxation, which is a process leading to the "partial
abnormal separation of the articular surfaces of a joint.". This
procedure includes tissue modifications such as atrophy, edema, local
ischemia, congestion, fibrosis, just to name just a few. Obviously,
chiropractic techniques are not only used for lower back pain. Through
the use of upper cervical chiropractic maneuvers, the pain on the neck
and upper back can be fixed.
Chiropractic can also be employed to repair these conditions...
Severe headaches
Repetitive pressures
High-impact accidents
Arthritic pain
In recent years, chiropractic has
been included with other healing approaches such as acupuncture and
ultrasound to enhance healing and pain alleviation. Back pain patients
who need to find a chiropractor are in luck. Through the world wide web,
different chiropractic websites can be seen by patients. A network of
chiropractic doctors may also offer advices and other important details
online.
It is critical to point out, however, that not all the
so-called "chiropractors" marketing their services may possess the
certification or the license to practice this healing occupation. In the
same way, the training of a chiropractor is distinct (although there
are some commonalities) from that of a physical therapist.
Becoming
a chiropractor entails admitting in a chiropractor school or a
chiropractor university to receive a 4-year degree program. Most states
in the U.S. ask for a Bachelor's degree in science before being
admitted. So as to begin performing chiropractic, the hopeful
chiropractor should first pass the four-part National Board Exams to
acquire the license to practice. Some specializations like orthopedics,
rehabilitation, sports medicine, and neurology may also be studied by
chiropractors.
With these things in mind, it is therefore very
crucial to recognize a chiropractor's qualifications before undergoing
treatment. This could be achieved by making requests with chiropractor
organizations governing the practice in the state. Here are three
warning signs that separate the legit from the not.
These are...
A special chiropractic technique is being offered by a chiropractor which no other chiropractor are familiar with.
Different ailments can be easily cured even cancer and diabetes
Benefits sound too good to be true
Chiropractic
salary or fees are very expensive so it is finest to understand if the
insurance will cover chiropractic treatments. Special discounts may be
offered by some chiropractors. As long as a chiropractor has acquired
suitable training and has the license to properly and securely perform
this healing technique then back pain relief is assured.
Many people suffering from back pain seek help from a chiropractor to resolve the aches and pains. In fact, many have attested chiropractic treatment is effective for back pain relief.
Dr. Pazdel talks about concussion, what it is, many of the symptoms that may point toward it and how the lingering effects can often affect the neck causing pain, stiffness, and more. This is where chiropractic treatment may be of great benefit to return to full health.
Taking care of patients with headaches is one of my favorite things to do as a chiropractor. There are many causes of headaches, but chiropractic care is extremely effective at treating all forms of headaches. The first thing your chiropractor will do is a very, very careful case history and examination. There are many things that can trigger headaches, and your chiropractor will want to understand what contributes to your headaches. We'll also do a thorough musculosekeletal exam where we can identify areas that are restricted or not moving normally. There are many techniques that chiropractors use to treat patients with headaches.
Traditional chiropractic adjustment involves a very precise, defined thrust into the spine to restore range of motion in the neck or other areas in the spine. And this can be very effective at reducing pain and increasing range of motion very quickly. There are other non-force or gentle chiropractic techniques that chiropractors use that may involve gentle rocking motion or stretching motion or gentle pressure that can also be very effective at restoring the normal function of the spine and the nervous system associated with it to help restore range of motion and relax the muscles. Chiropractors will also use other modalities including massage, deep tissue, myofascial release or trigger point therapies that can be very helpful at relaxing the muscle spasm that's associated with headaches very often.
We'll also check TMJ and sinuses. The reflex work we can do on sinuses can be very helpful at helping to reduce sinus headaches. The most common form of headaches that people often present with is muscular tension headaches, where the muscles in the base of the spine right were the neck attaches to the cranium get very tight. And we'll work on those areas. And sometimes we'll apply other therapies like heat or ice or electric muscle stim to help increase the effectiveness of our treatment.
Your chiropractor may also make specific recommendations for home care, including nutritional recommendations for eating enough protein, eating on time, eating certain foods or not eating certain foods and drinking enough water. There may be nutritional supplements recommended for general health.
Your chiropractor will also review with you special postural considerations that are especially important for people with headaches, like how to choose the correct pillow and what position to sleep in, and how to sit at your desk or carry a shoulder bag without straining your neck and shoulder.
Dr. Pazdel talks of issues with TMJ and how chiropractic care is so much more helpful than just working with the back. Chiropractic care extends through the entire body.
