Vancouver chiropractor Dr. Troy Dreiling provides chiropractic care for headaches and migraines. Our office is located in Vancouver near Andresen and Fourth Plain Blvd. Call our office to schedule a free consultation.
Video Transcription
Dr. Troy here.
I want to talk about migraines and headaches; a lot of people presents, they are very common. Eighty to ninety percent of people have headaches, it’s very common to see this. They can be debilitating to where sensitive to light and sound.
Usually, you will see severe pain or moderate pain in the back of the neck. Even medications can cause what we call a rebound headache. That is when you take the medication and feel a little better then when the meds wear off the headache comes back.
We know there’s a connection between misalignment in the neck, the upper cervical spine, especially with the skull with regards to the atlas. The C-2, there’s a triangle of muscles here and 95% of headaches are due to tension in the upper cervical region.
This is exactly what we look for as chiropractors. We look to see what’s causing that pressure, it can interfere with the inner flow. If you look the vertebral artery is here which provides 80% of the blood flow to your head. So, if there’s any misalignment or stretch on those two tissues they can affect neurological and blood flow function to your brain. This causes migraines, headaches, fatigue even vision problems. We’ve seen that if it radiates from the back of the skull to one side we know the occiput can be out of alignment. This is exactly what we check for.
If you’re suffering from headaches, it doesn’t matter if you’ve had them for a couple of weeks, years, a decade, chiropractic might be right for you. there is some upper cervical adjusting you can do, you don’t hear any noise and it is very light force. It helps relieve the pressure of the spinal cord and the nerves.
If you’re interested, free consultation to determine if we can help.
This is Dr. Troy, the migraine and headache chiropractor.
More Information On Headaches, Migraines And Chiropractic Care
Headaches are very common and it is reported that over 73% of people will experience headaches with mild to severe pain on a daily basis.
Zenaptic chiropractic care has been successfully helping people reduce and eliminate the pain and suffering associated with headaches for years. Our first goal is to find the cause of your suffering – not just treat the symptom or cover it up with medication.
Headache Causes
Most headaches are caused by tension. Tension is associated with pressure and stress to your central nervous system, which causes your body not to function and transmit nerve messages properly.
The main cause of the tension is a vertebral misalignment which causes nerve system irritation. This is known as a chiropractic subluxation. We are the only doctors trained to locate and correct these problems.
Headache Analysis and Treatment
Our treatment of your headache includes analyzing, locating and correcting the vertebral subluxation which is causing you pain. Our analysis can consist of spinal examination, postural assessment, nerve pressure testing, and specific digital x-rays to determine the exact location of the interference.
Once this is done and your vertebral misalignments (subluxations) are located, we recommend a course of specific corrective spinal adjustments to release the entrapped nerve system energy.
Our adjustments are designed to help your innate healing capacity to be restored. We use your spinal bones as a lever to open the nerve flow to help you regain function, thus removing the cause of your health issue.
Our adjustive technique is gentle and “feels good.” I tell patients it is like letting go of the luggage at the airport and has kind of a euphoric effect on your whole system. Treatment typically takes about 10 minutes.
In some cases, we recommend cervical traction and spinal molding to assist in the restoration of spinal joint function and nerve system integrity.
Our massage treatment can be very helpful in releasing muscle tension associated with aberrant spinal joint movements and the combination with chiropractic care can work very well.
Here’s an older video that reviews chiropractic care for headaches, migraines and back pain.
Types Of Headaches We Treat With Chiropractic Care
Sinus headaches are the result of pressure in the mucous membranes in the sinus area. They can be caused by misalignment of the neck vertebrae, cranial bones, and facial bones. These are joint pressures which can all be reduced by hands-on techniques that feel good. We also look to the bowel as a way to help increase the elimination of waste from the body which can manifest in the sinuses. We recommend using Wuji Chlorella to help increase elimination and stimulate healing.
Migraine headaches are severe and painful headaches that can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to sound and light, and tingling of the arms and legs. In some cases, they may be preceded by sensory issues or the appearance of an aura, which includes blind spots and flashes of light. Migraines are not entirely understood and can be caused by several factors, including blood flow changes, chemical sensitivities, overwhelming stress, and spinal misalignment known as chiropractic vertebral subluxation.
Cluster headaches are one of the most painful types of headaches, and they are known to occur in clusters or cyclical patterns. Cluster headaches will often awaken you during the middle of the night with an extremely intense pain on either one side of the head or around one eye. They are thought to be caused by abnormalities in the hypothalamus, and unlike tension and migraine headaches, they generally aren’t associated with triggers. Cluster periods, or bouts of frequent attacks, can last for weeks or even months, and they may be followed by remission periods in which you don’t have any headaches.
Cervicogenic headaches are caused by another physical issue or illness, which is why they are often referred to as secondary headaches. Cervicogenic headaches involve pain that is perceived in the head but actually originates from a source in the neck. Most commonly, abnormal neck / cervical joint motion or misalignment (vertebral subluxation) is the culprit, so it is important to treat the source of the pain in the neck to relieve a headache.
Traumatic headaches occur following head/neck trauma, such as whiplash, concussion, or another head injury. These headaches typically develop within seven days of an injury, and symptoms may include insomnia, dizziness, memory problems, sensitivity to light and noise, and poor concentration. Chiropractic manipulations can be beneficial for restoring blood flow to the scalp and neck and at reducing nerve irritation, and other chiropractic therapies can help to speed up recovery from traumatic headaches.
Drug-induced or rebound headaches originate from painkiller overuse after regular and long-term use of medications to treat headaches. Pain relievers are only intended to provide relief from an occasional headache, but if you take these medications for longer than intended, rebound headaches may result. Once the medication wears off, the headache will rebound back again, causing chronic unremitting pain.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, and they are described as a mild to moderate pain that feels similar to a tight band being wrapped around the head. They are caused by chronic stress and tension in the upper back and neck. Many office workers experience tension headaches due to sitting at a desk and computer for long periods of time, and management includes a balance of healthy habits and nondrug treatments like chiropractic adjustments.
Headaches FAQ
Are there any side effects of headache treatment made by chiropractic adjustment?
Sometimes people will notice soreness following their first 1-3 spinal adjustments. This is usually self-limiting and is very similar to going to the gym for the first time in months – after the first few workouts, you feel soreness in the tissues because you have not used them in awhile. Most patients report immediate relief and a sense of well being following their chiropractic visits.
Do you offer other headache treatments like massage or other treatments?
We offer specific chiropractic adjustments to reduce tension and pressure in the neck which is one of the main causes of headaches. Massage, in conjunction with spinal adjusting techniques, works very well. Many of the adjusting techniques we implement make no noise and have virtually no thrust associated with them.
Case Studies
The following patients suffered from headache pain:
35 year old female presented following a recent motor vehicle collision. She reported Constant daily headaches, neck pain/neck stiffness and left shoulder pain. THis was affecting her lifting, reading, dressing, doing computer work, carrying and bending. She was been self-medicating with ibuprofen and Tylenol for pain with little relief.
Diagnosis: * Multi Cervical Vertebra subluxation (839.08). * Thoracic Subluxation (839.21). * Sprain Of Neck (847.0), Sprain Thoracic Region (847.1), Cervicalgia (723.1), Headache (784.0), Cervicobrachial Syndrome (723.3), Loss of Cervical Lordosis (737.29) and Pain In Thoracic Spine (724.1).
Results: After approximately 8 weeks of conservative care patient reports: NO headaches, no neck pain or shoulder pain. She reported more energy, better sleep, improved mood, increased ability to exercise and no medication usage. She stated she has reached 100% of her goal for seeking care and was very happy with our services.
34-year-old female presented. She reported Constant daily headaches, neck pain/neck stiffness upper back pain low back pain and right leg sciatica/numbness and tingling. THis was affecting her bending, lifting, doing computer work, carrying work, sleep and rolling over in bed. She was been self-medicating with ibuprofen 600mg, Flexeril, and oxycodone for pain with little relief.
Diagnosis: * Multi Cervical Vertebra subluxation (839.08). * Thoracic Subluxation (839.21). * Sprain Of Neck (847.0), Sprain Thoracic Region (847.1), Cervicalgia (723.1), Headache (784.0), Cervicobrachial Syndrome (723.3), Loss of Cervical Lordosis (737.29) and Pain In Thoracic Spine (724.1), lumbago and sciatica.
Results: After approximately 6 weeks of conservative care patient reports: NO headaches, no neck pain, back or sciatic pain. She reported more energy, better sleep, better bowel function, improved mood, increased ability to exercise, enhanced nutrition and no medication usage. She stated she has reached 90% of her goal for seeking care and was very happy with our services.
Summary
We provide a series of specific chiropractic adjustments, cervical neck traction/mobilization, spinal disc exercises and relaxation massage techniques to help correct the underlying cause of your headache suffering.
if you or anyone you know is suffering from Headaches, neck pain and/or shoulder pain in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR area please Schedule a FREE consultation with our office to see if we can solve your health challenges or call us today!
