More than 15 million Americans suffer from persistent recurring headaches with no obvious cause. Pain pills only cover up the headaches temporarily and the headaches come back.
Numerous studies have found that chiropractic care helps a variety of headaches. Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches. Recent studies show that many of these originate in the neck where the cervical vertebrae are located. A medical doctor doing research at Syracuse University said, "We've been able to put together a scientific explanation for how neck structure causes headaches... It's true that chiropractors have been saying this for years... They were right about headaches." A recently published controlled trial concluded, "spinal manipulation has a significant positive effect in cases of cervicogenic (originating from the neck) headache." They found that chiropractic care reduced the number of headache hours by an impressive 69% and reduced the intensity of the remaining headaches.
Migraine headaches, perhaps the most severe headaches, also respond to chiropractic care. In one study, 74.7% of migraine patients were greatly improved under chiropractic care, and the success rate was maintained two years after the care ended. Then there was the Parker trial funded by the Australian government that found chiropractic care effective for Migraine. A follow-up study of the Parker trial concluded, "The trial clearly established that chiropractic was an effective treatment for migraine."
Chiropractic care is not just for backaches. If you suffer with headaches, call our office to discuss treatment options including spinal manipulation, acupuncture, and/or homeopathy.
PROGRESSIVE HEALTH & WELLNESS BLOG: HOW ACUPUNCTURE WORKS : Acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine have been in existence for over 4,000 years. Yet the explanation for how acupuncture works has been largely based on theory. The basic theory is outlined in a text from 200 B.C. It acknowledges in people and nature a vital energy or life force known as Qi (pronounced "chee"). Qi flows through the body via channels called meridians. If the Qi flow is altered, the resulting deficiency, excess, or stagnation of qi causes bodily malfunction, illness, and inability to heal properly. Acupuncture, in which needles are inserted into specific points along these meridians, restores the proper Qi flow, thereby returning the body to a state of improved health and decreased pain.Chiropractic doctors and other licensed practitioners administer about 10 million acupuncture treatments each year in the US, most commonly for pain control, sports injuries, and smoking cessation. As the popularity of acupuncture increases, researchers have become more interested into proving exactly how acupuncture works. To date, researchers have been able to measure an increased flow of acupuncture-induced endorphins. This explains the pain-relieving effect of acupuncture. Also, functional MRI's have measured changes in the activity of key centers of the brain, where pain is interpreted, when certain acupuncture points are treated. There are other beneficial effects of acupuncture also being researched, including the treatment of: nausea, asthma, sinus conditions, colds and the immune system, and other internal disorders. Furthermore, acupuncture has been observed clinically to enhance healing, and provide long-lasting pain relief. Read More |