CHIROPRACTIC AND HEADACHES 

“Over 70% of all headaches arise from problems with the cervical spine and its related structures.” — Canadian Family  Physician

Is there anyone who actually believes that the cause of a headache is the deficiency of pain medications? It seems like a  silly question, but all too often in our society people are quick to take a pain relief pill, but neglect the message that the  body is trying to convey. Most people have experienced a headache at some point in their lives. Headaches are incredibly  common, but they are not normal or healthy. Headaches are a symptom of a much bigger underlying problem, such as  spinal stress, dehydration, or other various health conditions.

 
Stresses of everyday life (physical traumas, exposure to toxins, and even negative thoughts) accumulate in the body and  can negatively impact spinal health. If the body in unable to adapt to these stresses, vertebral subluxations (shifts in the  alignment of the vertebra of the spine) can result. Left uncorrected, these misalignments of the spine can lead to a  process known as subluxation degeneration. Subluxation degeneration affects the health and function of the muscles,  ligaments, blood vessels, bones, joints, and most importantly the nervous system.

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Subluxations (incorrect alignment) of the upper cervical spine, typically the atlanto-occipital joint (C0-C1) or the atlanto axial joint (C1-C2) are an extremely common source of headache. A misalignment in this region can put serious pressure  of the very delicate structures passing through this region—the brain stem, cranial nerves, and blood vessels—on their  way into and out of the skull. This can lead to disruption of many of our autonomic functions, such as breathing and  digestion, and can disrupt numerous circulatory and nervous system pathways. Additionally, cervical spine misalignments  can place stress on the muscles, joints, and soft tissues in the surrounding areas, which if left uncorrected, can lead to  muscle strain, joint degeneration, and tissue injury.

 
At Scott Family Chiropractic we have been fortunate to help thousands of people not only find relief from their headaches  and migraines, but also help them to understand what lifestyle factors contribute to their headaches. The process of  caring for someone who suffers from headaches, regardless of the type of headache, is to assess the body as a whole. At  Scott Family Chiropractic, we utilize a holistic approach to health care and to pain relief. Our clinic ensures that each new  patient who comes into our clinic undergoes a thorough health history, a detailed spinal examination, a nervous system  evaluation, and any other necessary diagnostic testing, prior to beginning chiropractic care with us. From there, we can  identify regions of the body that may be structurally compromised, and any relative lifestyle factors that may be  contributing to the condition. Once we have completed the evaluation, we are then able to give a recommended course of  action aimed at removing the interference to the affected joints, and rehabilitating the implemented regions to ensure that  the likelihood of the problem returning is reduced.