Cervicogenic Headache are headaches coming from the neck. There are many cause of headaches. Chiropractic has been shown to help headaches caused by neck dysfunction.
A Spine Journal study found that in patients suffering from cervicogenic headache, spinal manipulation cuts the number of symptomatic days in half:
“256 adults with chronic cervicogenic headache (CGH) were randomized to four dose levels of chiropractic SMT: 0, 6, 12, or 18 sessions. Participants were treated three times per week for 6 weeks and received a focused light-massage control at sessions when SMT was not assigned. A linear dose-response was observed for all follow-ups, a reduction of approximately 1 CGH day/month for each additional 6 SMT visits. Cervicogenic headache days/month were reduced from about 16 to 8 for the highest and most effective dose of 18 SMT visits.”
Call the office if you have been suffering from headaches! If you have tried medicine but you are still having headaches then give chiropractic a try.
Healthy brain function is essential for optimal wellness, but conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and concussions are emerging as critical concerns for our health care system. as conventional medicine searches for solutions, cutting-edge research is starting to show that nutrients and herbal extracts may have beneficial effects on memory and brain function.
Top Supplements to Boost Brain Function:
Fish oils high in DHA
Turmeric (bioavailable forms)
Magnesium
Vitamins D and E
B vitamins (especially B12)
Bilberry (anthocyanins)
Did You Know?
Most concussions do not involve a loss of consciousness.
Sports-related concussions do not show evidence of damage on MRI or CT scans.
Across the same sports, girls have higher rates of concussions.
Hrkal, Paul ND (2019) Maintain a Healthy Brain Sage: A Healthy Living Magazine
Tech neck happens when people spend too much time with their head and neck extended too far forward over their body while looking at a computer screen. It can also happen when people repeatedly tuck their head down over their chin and hunch their shoulders while sending or receiving text messages on a cell phone.
Symptoms: •Neck pain •Shoulder pain •Shoulder blade pain •Pain in arms and hands •Numbness in thumbs and fingers •Headaches and/or Migraines •Fatigue •Eye strain and blurred vision
Minimize Tech Neck by:
Bring screens to eye level
Use a tablet or smartphone holder
Take frequent breaks from screens
Strengthen mid back and cervical extender muscles
Call Dr. Steve for help with your posture and tech neck!
The clam is a great exercise for strengthening the Glute Medius. The Glute Medius is an important muscle related to lower back pain. They help stabilize the pelvis while walking, so the weakness can lead to an unstable pelvis.
Another area that weakness of Glute Medius can cause pain in is the knee. Because of this runners have to pay extra attention to this muscle so they don’t suffer from injuries related to this muscle. ( knee pain and Illiotibial band syndrome)
If you want more information or want to see if you have weakness that could be contributing to your pain, call the chiropractic office in Elgin, Illinois and make an appointment!
This study found that DISC HERNIATIONS RESOLVE BY THEMSELVES THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME! That is awesome. The study found that the overall incidence of spontaneous resorption after LDH was 66.66% (95% CI 51% – 69%). The incidence in the United Kingdom was 82.94% (95% CI 63.77% – 102.11%). The incidence in Japan was 62.58% (95% CI 55.71% – 69.46%).
There is hope! Chiropractic works to restore normal mechanics to the spine and corrective exercise can help this process along.
Pass this along to anyone who is suffering! And if you are suffering be sure to make an appointment with Dr. Steve!
Incidence of Spontaneous Resorption of Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Meta-Analysis.
What happens if you don’t have pain or you are a casual runner that is just looking for a new pair of running shoes?
The research shows that selecting running shoes based on comfort is the best.
The best way to know if they are comfortable is by trying them on and run at least a quarter-mile. If the shoe feels good then that is the right shoe for you! That’s it, pretty easy, right? If the sneaker feels good, that’s the one to buy.
Keep it simple! Your body knows what it needs.
Below is a nice summary of shoe research.
If you missed my other posts on running shoes click here! And if you need help with shoes or running in general please give us a call!
People that come into our chiropractic clinic for treatment after lumbar disc herniation or disc bulging frequently have a history of pain which is worse in the morning and then improves after they’ve been up moving around for a bit.
Often they have some questions about what exercises and stretches they can do in the morning to make them feel better. We learned more about morning back pain in a disc – injured patient after the research of Michael Adams in the 1980s.(1,2) Adams referred to the “diurnal behavior of the disc” which mostly refers to the tendency for the discs to absorb moisture from the tissues around them overnight.
The discs soak up the fluids from the tissues around them while a person is recumbent in bed overnight. So in the morning when they wake up the outer layers of the disc are under a bit more tension, which we refer to as hydrostatic pressure.
In turn, the disc becomes a bit more plump, adding pressure to nerves and surroundingstructors.
So what should you do? Once you get out of bed you should not bend over right away. Try to keep your back straight or try stretching backward .
Next, use your hips to bend over the sink to brush your teeth.
A straight back using my hips to bend over.Bending at the lumbar spine causing lots of pressure on the lumbar discs
The above picture is a great way to cause sharp shooting pain in the morning.
Try to sit up straight or use a back support in the small of your back like in the picture above.
Sitting with a more normal curve in the lumbar spine helps take the pressure off of the lumbar discs and helps decrease pain.
A wrong way to sit
Sitting like this cause more disc pressure causing disc irritation. It can cause the disc to bulge more.
Discs are fatter in the morning because the absorb fluid overnight. So think of a jelly doughnut if the doughnut has more jelly its more likely to shoot out if you put pressure on it.
So remember back straight, stomach tight will help prevent lower back pain and help you heal if you have pain.
A weak core can increase your chances for lower extremity injury during exercise!
The core is important for your lower back and neck health for sure. It’s also very important for extremity health. If you have been dealing with an arm or leg injury (extremity) that has not been getting better with treatment, it might be good to add in some core exercise to improve outcomes.
Take Home Message from the study: A college freshman with dynamic postural control limb imbalances, decreased hip extension strength, or decreased core muscle endurance during bridging exercises is more likely to develop a lower extremity overuse injury.
Dr. Steve Sikorsky | Chiropractic Care Elgin, Illinois
