Headaches are something that people don’t realize chiropractic care can help with, and unfortunately, a lot of people just put up with the “normal” headaches. Let’s go over the three main types of headaches that people experience and how chiropractic can help with each one of those.

Tension Headaches

The first and most common type of headaches are tension headaches. A tension headache usually starts back in the back of the neck.  The pain can then follow the course of the suboccipital (SO) nerve (pictured below).  People may feel pain in the back of the head, along the entire course of the SO nerve, or at specific locations along the nerve course, or a mixture of all three.   With tension headaches, there is often neck pain and/or tightness.  This type of headache responds really, really well to chiropractic care.  My patients often remark that they wish they had taken action sooner to get relief because chiropractic care is so effective at giving them relief.

Migraine Headaches

The next type of headaches, which is also very common, are migraine headaches. Migraine headaches usually have a pulsatile or throbbing sensation to them, and they are usually one-sided.  We have lots of success with migraine headaches as well, but often these are trickier to get under control.  There are a lot of things that can trigger a migraine.

Food can be something that triggers migraines. Unfortunately one of the most universally loved foods can cause migraines for some people.  The nitrates that are added to bacon and ham can contribute to the incidence of migraines.

Hormonal changes and some medications can also contribute.  In our office, we always make sure to take a whole-person approach to patient care, especially when it comes to migraines.

Cluster Headaches

The third major type of headache is cluster headaches.  These headaches are rarer.  They respond very well to chiropractic care.

A cluster headache is a very severe type of headache.  Just look at how the pain was portrayed in the above drawing.  Some patients describe the pain as a sharp, searing rod of iron being stabbed through their head.  It is an intense pain that has caused some patients to contemplate suicide.

The pain is one-sided, right above and around the eye, and sometimes feels like the pain is shooting through the skull. On that same side, there will be a runny, watery eye and/or nose.

In my experience cluster headaches respond very, very well to chiropractic care. We don’t quite know what causes cluster headaches, but my theory is that it’s a tension headache gone wild, so to speak. So that’s why I think it responds very well to chiropractic care.

Conclusion

If you have headaches of any kind, we can help you.   We start with a thorough history and exam so we know exactly what we are dealing with.  We always look at the root causes of the headaches and promise to get you the best results as quickly as we can.

If you suffer from headaches, please give us a call at (507)-345-1926.

Bottom Line: The opioid epidemic has led many leading medical groups to emphasize the importance of conservative care for low back and neck pain. The world’s largest medical society, the American College of Physicians, updated its low back treatment guide in 2017 to support conservative options, such as Chiropractic care. The guidelines were published in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine and have been adopted by many leading healthcare organizations.

Why it Matters: Medical guidelines are now emphasizing the patients should only move to take Ibuprofen or muscle relaxants if other conservative options aren’t helping. New research has shown that medications such as acetaminophen are not very good at providing relief, and in many cases, aren’t even as effective as a placebo.

– The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality recommended spinal adjustments as the only safe, effective, and drugless initial treatment for back pain.

– A new article in the American Medical Association suggests Chiropractic as the preferred option for people with back pain. – SPINE found nearly 75% of patients had significant improvement in their back pain with chiropractic care, compared to only 17% who had medical care alone.

Next Steps: Now more than ever, medical doctors and Chiropractors are working together to help patients get well and stay well. For over 100 years, Chiropractors have been focused on providing effective, safe, and natural healthcare solutions. Due to the risks and dangers of surgery and medications, the medical community has finally begun to support options such as Chiropractic that take a patient-first approach to care.

Science Source(s): Adding Chiropractic Manipulative Therapy to Standard Medical Care for Patients with Acute Low Back Pain: The Results of a Pragmatic Randomized Comparative Effectiveness Study! SPINE Volume 38, Number 8: 627-634 @2013 Acute Low Back Problems in Adults. Clinical Practice Guideline No.14. AHCPR Publication No. 95-0642 Low Back Pain. JAMA. 2013; 309(16):1738

Bottom Line:

Shoulder pain or pain around the shoulder is very common after a car accident or work injury. The shoulder is considered an unstable joint which means that it has a tremendous range of motion but not much stability. The combination of fantastic mobility and limited stability makes it extremely susceptible to injuries as a result of an impact.

Why it Matters:

 The shoulder is a ball and socket joint with 3 primary bones: the upper arm (humerus), collarbone (clavicle) and shoulder blade (scapula). These bones are held together with an intricate pattern of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. If your rotator cuff is injured, you may notice severe pain and limited range of motion. Left untreated, rotator cuff injuries can eventually result in a “frozen” shoulder, shoulder pain, and months worth of treatment to re-establish a full range of motion.

 

• Your shoulder is a mobile joint that is held together with a complex network of muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
• The incidence of whiplash + shoulder pain and injury after a crash is estimated to be nearly 22%.
• Holding onto the steering wheel during an accident can cause damage to the rotator cuff or initiate impingement syndromes, as can your seat belt.

 Next Steps:

Shoulder pain and injuries can sometimes mimic other injuries. Pain down into your arm due to nerve entrapment, or even referred pain up into your neck and head could be coming from your shoulder, as compression on the shoulder by a seat belt during an accident can injure the nerves that travel to your arm and hand. If your shoulder or arms feel restricted, sore, or painful after an accident, we recommend having it evaluated so you can get the proper care to start healing better, faster.

 Science Source:

Injury mechanisms in supraclavicular stretch injuries of the brachial plexus. Hand Surgery and Rehabilitation. 2016. Whiplash injury of the shoulder: Is it a distinct clinical entity? 2005

Bottom Line:

The term whiplash is the term used to describe the injuries that result from a rapid back and forth motion of the neck. These injuries can occur during a car crash, sports accident, or during a slip and fall. The most common symptoms of a whiplash injury are neck pain, headaches, and radiating pain into the shoulders, arms, and hands.

 

Why it Matters:

 Pain after whiplash happens when the delicate ligaments supporting your neck have been damaged, and new research indicates that even low-speed crashes can create the force necessary to cause pain and injury. Whiplash can also cause damage to your facet joints and spinal discs by stretching them beyond their normal range of motion. Depending on the type of accident, we may choose to take x-rays or an MRI of your neck to evaluate your injuries better.

 

• Over 1.5 million whiplash injuries occur each year, many from low impact collisions.
• Whiplash can cause neck pain and headaches due to injuries to the facet joints, spinal discs, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.
• Chiropractic adjustments and massage have been recommended at effective treatment for the management of neck pain after whiplash.

Next Steps:

A stiff neck after an accident is a good clue that a whiplash injury may have occurred. Keep an eye out for swelling and bruising, which can take up to 24 hours to develop. In some cases, the partial tearing of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments around your spine can take several months to heal. Remember that getting an evaluation, and the proper care early on can help you reduce your pain and heal better and faster. Know that we’re here to support you on your road to recovery.  Call 507-345-1926 today or

 Science Source:

Are manual therapies, passive physical modalities, or acupuncture effective for the management of patients with whiplash-associated disorders or neck pain and associated disorders? An update of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders by the OPTIMa collaboration. December 2016. The Spine Journal. Neck Injury (Whiplash/Neck Sprain). National Health Service (UK). 2017. Human subject rear passenger symptom response to frontal car-to-car low-speed crash tests. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2011.

A car accident can be a frightening and life-changing event.  Dr. Shawn Andrews has helped hundreds of people over the years get over their car accident injuries.

Bottom Line:

Your body wasn’t designed to deal with the forces that occur in a car accident. Even though modern cars have an array of safety features, the damage from an accident can range from small aches to life-changing injuries. The force that both your vehicle and body absorb while driving along the road is known as kinetic energy. Your vehicle has been carefully built to displace the (kinetic) energy that occurs during an accident. However, no matter what type of car you have, your body will still absorb some of the impact.

Why it Matters:

 The powerful forces during impact can cause injuries to your body. A few of the most common injuries that occur after a crash include:

 

• Whiplash: when your car is rear-ended, your neck gets thrown back from the impact and then rebounds by flexing forward. Whiplash commonly injures the tendons and ligaments in your neck and can cause severe pain, and it’s estimated to occur in over 25% of auto accidents.
• Head Impact: your head may collide with the headrest (during whiplash) or even the steering wheel or airbag. Concussions, headaches, and other symptoms may show up after an accident.
• Shoulder and Knee Injuries: Bracing for an accident can often cause a shoulder injury. It’s also not uncommon for your knees to hit either the door or dashboard during an accident.

Next Steps:

If you’ve been in an automobile accident, the most crucial first step is to be evaluated by a medical professional. At the scene of the crash, your adrenaline is pumping, and you may not feel any pain or discomfort because of a state of shock. However, many people wake up the next day, experiencing the full brunt of their injuries. Call us today or click here if you’ve experienced pain as a result of a crash. We would be happy to provide a full evaluation and help you take the first steps on the road to recovery.  Don’t become one of those people that say they are never the same since that car accident.  We will help you with a personalized and specific care plan to get you back to better than before your car accident.

Science Source:

Human subject rear passenger symptom response to frontal car-to-car low-speed crash tests. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2011.