Headaches have a significant impact on individuals, the health care system, and employers. Lost productivity from migraines cost approximately $13 billion annually. This is not considering the impact migraines have on an individual’s quality of life. Migraines have a more severe effect on quality of life than does osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
Fifty seven percent of men and 76 percent of women report at least one major headache per month. As many as 23.6 million Americans have suffered from migraine headaches.
There are many types of headaches and many causes of headaches. People generally know if a headache is associated with the flu, excessive drinking, skipped meals, or other factors that are quit obvious to the patient.
In our Dallas chiropractic office one of the most common types of headaches are ones that are associated with whiplash. It is often reported after a motor vehicle accident. Some headaches are cervicogenic. They start because of a neck problem. Many patients report immediate relief from severe headaches after a chiropractic adjustment.
Most headaches are not life threatening, but a chiropractor who does a thorough exam and history should be able to determine if there is a secondary or more serious cause for the headaches.
Headaches
An Overview of Chiropractic Care
In our Dallas chiropractic clinic we see people that fit into two broad categories. One is acute and the other is chronic. An acute care patient has a sprain/strain. It can be neck pain, low back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, or many other scenarios. Since it is acute, adjustments and rehab when done properly help the patient to improve rather quickly. We can usually completely resolve the problem in six to twelve visits.
Unfortunately, when the pain is gone people generally feel that they need no further treatment. This is rarely the case. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, physical therapy, and rehab, a person who has had one or more acute pain episodes involving joints, muscles, and other soft tissue needs the following:
- Therapeutic exercises: it generally takes 3-5 visits to teach and review the patient’s exercise program. After the patient learns the exercises they must continue to do them at home on a regular basis. Ergonomics also play a big role in the home and workplace. The height of your computer screen, desk, chair, and many other things can affect your health. We offer all inclusive programs that save you money and get the follow-up care done after the pain is gone.
Chronic care is entirely different. I have seen people with sports injuries, workplace injuries, degenerative joint disease/degenerative disk disease, osteoarthritis, and many other conditions where the damage could not be reversed. The people in these situations still have lives to live, children to feed, and bills to pay. They often seek chiropractic care to temporarily improve pain and restore function. Ergonomics and therapeutic exercise are extremely important to these patients. Often the exercises will reduce stiffness and increase range of motion and in some cases relieve pain and reduce the need for chiropractic adjustments.
Cholesterol and You
Does cholesterol cause heart disease? Do anti-cholesterol drugs (statins) help prevent heart attacks? Are statin drugs safe? These are questions you should ask your medical doctor. Also ask him if he receives gifts, premiums and incentives from drug companies if he prescribes their products. A chiropractor/nutritionist does not diagnose or treat heart disease. This is the job of a cardiologist. There are many good cardiologists that save many lives. If you suspect you have a heart condition, get to a cardiologist as soon as possible. Do not wait!
“Saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet are not the cause of coronary heart disease. That myth is the greatest scientific deception of this century, and perhaps any century.” (George V. Mann, MD, Professor of Medicine & Biochemistry, Vanderbilt University, 1991). Cholesterol is an important part to every cell in the human body. We would die without cholesterol. Cholesterol is used in forming 50% of the nervous system. It is necessary for proper growth and development of the brain and nervous system. Cholesterol also serves as a conductor of nerve impulses. Fatigue, obesity, emotional disturbances, digestive difficulties, inability to conceive, menstrual syndromes, blood pressure irregularities, and many more conditions can be the result of cholesterol deficiency. Cholesterol is the starting material for steroid hormones/sex hormones. There have been many studies in medical journals that show the negative effects of anti-cholesterol medications.
Neck Pain, Headaches, Whiplash
As a chiropractor in Dallas, GA, the number one problem we see is low back pain. The second most frequent problem we see is neck pain that is often caused by whiplash which happens very often after a car accident. Whiplash can occur for many reasons. We see it after car accidents, sporting events, rough play, and even after patients have been sneezing and coughing a lot.
Headaches often occur because of problems in the neck. A chiropractor can adjust the spine and help the body heal. You may wish to visit our Dallas, GA office if you are experiencing headaches, neck pain, stiffness, or muscle spasms. Many of these same conditions also occur with low back pain or sprain/strain in the lumbar and pelvic regions. See the articles below for more information.
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/whiplash/article_em.htm#Whiplash%20Overview
Gout
Several people have walked into our office complaining of pain in their big toe. Sometimes it is nothing more than a fixation in the joint, it could also be osteoarthritis from sports or other activities, but it could be gout. Gout usually starts in the big toe but I have seen it in the knee, foot, and other areas of the leg. Gout happens when the body has trouble metabolizing uric acid. It is possible to have high uric acid levels and not have gout. Gout is made worse by eating foods high in purine. Organ meats, scallops, muscles, and some fish are high in purine. There are also vegetables such as dried beans and asparagus that are moderately high in purine. Heavy alcohol use, kidney disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and some drugs can interfere with uric acid elimination. Because of the kidney problems associated with gout, I often suggest reducing foods high in oxalic acid. For a list of these foods, click on the following link. http://oxalicacidinfo.com/
Also see www.nutritioncaremanual.org
In managing gout, you should first get a medical exam with labs. Second, modify your diet and lifestyle. Third, although there is no cure for gout, there are supplements that make it much easier to live with. They include Phosfood liquid, AC Carbomide, Arginex, Renatrophin, Celery Seed, and Valerian root. There is also nutritional support for abnormal levels of uric acid when a patient does not have gout.
Protein Diet and Disease
Many of us are concerned about weight loss. Not nearly enough of us are concerned about health. We’re more concerned about the way we look. As I’ve said many times, weight loss is simply burning more calories than you consume. When we are out of shape, we are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. CVD happens through a sequence of biochemical events. Fat cells in our bodies cause inflammation in our blood vessels which leads to high blood pressure. At the same time, a high level of fatty acids in the blood which occurs in obese people, inhibits a compound that helps relax blood vessel walls and lower blood pressure.
Fat cells secrete estrogen which leads to certain types of cancer, mainly breast cancer. Being overweight also increases the chance of type II diabetes. You are at risk for diabetes if you have a waist larger then 40” for men and 35” for women, a body mass index greater than 25, triglycerides over 150mg/dl, an HDL level less than 40 for men and less than 50 for women, or a blood pressure greater than 130/85.
Many people think they can lose a lot of weight by eating no carbs and being on a mostly meat diet. This could even be dangerous to your health. Here is a very good article on how much protein your body needs and just some good information.
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/how-much-protein-do-you-really-need-2523319/
How to choose a supplement
Many supplements are synthetic and not absorbed by the body very well. There are many forms or types of vitamins and minerals. In the case of calcium, the most absorbable is calcium lactate. One of the least absorbable is calcium carbonate. Most vitamin E and vitamin C supplements are synthetic and will not help your body. There are eight different constituents to a whole molecule of vitamin E. In most supplements you only get one eighth of that molecule. Vitamin C has a similar story. If you want what’s best for your body, we can help.
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