Migraines

We think mostly of chiropractic treatment in terms of lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches. In fact, there are numerous additional wide-ranging benefits to chiropractic health care. Many of these benefits are related to getting more out of our exercise activities.

For example, aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular function.1,2 As a result, during periods of rest the heart rate is slowed and the ability of the lungs to take in air (vital capacity) is increased. A slower heart rate means the heart is working more efficiently. Increased vital capacity means the lungs are working more efficiently. Fewer heart beats per minute and fewer breaths per minute result in reduced “wear and tear” on these critical systems. Aerobic exercise makes us healthier.

When we have stress, our muscles get tight. Occasionally this tightness is prolonged, and the normal mobility of our bones and joints is compromised. Reduced mobility of the spinal column creates a spiraling effect of tight muscles, tight ligaments, and further loss of mobility in the neck, middle back, and lower back. We experience pain in these areas as a result.3

These patterns can persist. We all know people who have frequent neck pain or lower back pain. These patterns of pain and limited mobility may result in changes to the normal curves of the spine. Normal curves may become flattened, and these changes result in further discomfort, muscular tension, and pain.

Most importantly, loss of the normal spinal curvature in the neck and middle back may place additional stress on the heart and lungs. The actual physical space in which these organs function may become reduced. Maximum function may be compromised and efficiency is lost. Brisk walking used to be easy. Climbing stairs used to be no problem. Now these normal daily activities may leave you out-of-breath. You’re huffing-and-puffing and don’t know what’s happened.

You begin doing aerobic exercises to try to improve cardiovascular function. But the potential benefits are limited by these underlying muscle, ligament, and joint problems. You spend a lot of time exercising but do not seem to be making any improvements.

Chiropractic health care may be able to restore more normal functioning. Chiropractic treatment restores the mobility to spinal joints. The gentle treatment relieves stress on the spinal muscles and ligaments, which in turn improves spinal range of motion. Muscle tightness eases, pain and stiffness are reduced, and you become more flexible.

Additionally, this improved flexibility allows your chest and rib cage to expand much more fully when you breathe. Your heart and lungs have more room to function, and you can now actually begin to receive the full benefits of your aerobic exercise.

Chiropractic health care helps you get fit and stay fit!

1Pivarnik JM et al. Effects of maternal aerobic fitness on cardiovascular responses to exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc 25(9):993-998, 1993. 2Jackson EM, Dishman RK. Hemodynamic responses to stress among blackk women: fitness and parental hypertension. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34)7):1097-1104, 2002 3Petrella RJ, et al. Can primary care doctors prescribe exercise to improve fitness? Am J Prev Med 24(4):316-322, 2003

An alternative treatment for migraine headaches can be harmless and also cheaper than traditional pain medications. Sure, it’s possible you could experience a negative reaction or even increase your headache pain because of a natural alternative treatment, but the odds are far less than with pain-relieving medications. People are different from each other. An alternative treatment for migraine headaches that might relieve one person’s headache may not relieve someone else’s. However, just because one migraine headache treatment does not work for one person does not mean it won’t work for you.

There are many effective alternatives to taking medication when it comes to relieving migraine headaches. One of these alternative methods may be just what you have been looking for.

For example, chiropractors have been treating migraine sufferers for more than a century, and studies have shown that a majority of migraine patients have achieved good results. As a safe and effective alternative treatment for migraine headaches, chiropractic manipulations can bring relief from migraine pain and are effective in preventing future headaches. There are few side effects. For many people, once the spinal problems are gone, so are the headaches.

Biofeedback is another form of treatment that is safe and can be effective in eliminating pain. Biofeedback is a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and of course, the relaxation of their tense muscles.

Anyone who suffers from migraine headaches knows that stress can cause tension which in turn can bring about a migraine headache. Learning how to control and eliminate the tension is an important part of biofeedback. Over time and with practice, a migraine sufferer can eliminate the tension causing the migraine headache almost at will. Once they have learned how to control their muscles, they can relieve the pain of migraine headaches and help reduce the occurrence of future headaches.

Another very common cause of tension headaches and migraine headaches is just plain stress. Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as with biofeedback training (as explained above), taking a warm bath or shower, lying down and resting in a quiet dark room, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms. Regular exercise can also, over time, reduce tension.

These are just a few of the many natural treatment methods that are available to migraine headache patients. They are all considered safe and are effective for many people. If you have headaches it may be beneficial to try an alternative treatment for migraine headaches or search out others on your own. But as always it is a good idea to talk with your doctor before attempting to treat yourself for a health problem.

If you are interested in an alternative treatment for migraine headaches, they can often be cheaper than traditional prescription medications and are often without any side effects. Like with any treatment, you may run the risk of a negative reaction or sometimes even experience additional migraine pain as a result of an alternative treatment, but this is rare and occurs far less than when using prescription pain medication. Each of us has different experiences and reactions and an alternative treatment for migraine headaches may be effective for one person and ineffective for someone else. Even if one type of headache treatment doesn’t work for one person it may be effective for another migraine sufferer.

When it come to relieving migraine headache pain, you can often choose from a variety of alternative treatments. You are not limited to prescription medication and you may find an effective alternative.

Chiropractic adjustments, or chiropractic manipulations, is a very popular alternative treatment for migraine headache relief. Patients with migraine headaches have been visiting chiropractors for over 100 years, and with very good results. Studies have shown that over 80% of headache patients find relief with chiropractic care. Plus, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems do cause headaches and by correcting these spinal problems many headache sufferers find welcome relief.

For many years, migraine sufferers have turned to biofeedback to help control migraine headaches and eliminate the pain. Biofeedback instruction teaches a person to voluntarily control certain automatic bodily functions, such as blood pressure, heart rate, temperature and how to control and relax muscles throughout the body.

Stress can cause tension, which can lead to muscle tightness (muscle tension) and cause headaches. By relaxing these tense muscles, especially in the neck, it is possible to relieve the tension causing the migraine headaches. With biofeedback, once the technique is learned there is no longer any need for the biofeedback equipment. The patient with migraine headaches can now produce the desired effect at any time. They can control certain bodily functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can help reduce and relieve their migraine headaches.

Very often stress can not only cause tension headaches, but also migraine headaches as well. One way to relieve tension is by controlling the muscles through biofeedback techniques. Once you relieve the tension or eliminate the stress it is easier to relieve a migraine headache. In addition to biofeedback, you can also relieve tension and thus a migraine headache by taking a warm bath, putting cold compresses on the back of the neck or resting in quiet dark room. Massaging tense muscles, especially in the neck and head can provide some relief.

If you suffer from migraine headaches, you may find relief by using an alternative treatment. There are many natural or alternative remedies that have been proven to be safe and effective for migraine sufferers. Ask your doctor about an alternative remedy before starting treatment.

You’re getting ready to launch your new business. And, being a savvy entrepreneur, you’ve been spending a lot of time doing research on the Internet. Entering searches, following links, cutting-and-pasting, typing, mouse-clicking, dragging-and-dropping.

By the time you’re ready to “go live” you have begun to notice a dull ache in your wrist (the one that does most of the mouse-ing). Theres an annoying tingling sensation in your thumb and the tendons in your forearm hurt whenever you move your fingers.

“Oh, no,” you think. “Ive got carpal tunnel syndrome.”

However, the news is probably not as bad as that. Its much more likely youve developed repetitive stress syndrome, which can be effectively treated by a chiropractor.

Repetitive stress syndrome is often misdiagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome by family physicians, internists, and even very many orthopedists. The doctor thinks, “wrist pain and thumb pain, must be carpal tunnel”. This path of least resistance leads to much unnecessary neurologic testing, needless medication, and unwarranted surgeries.

Real carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is actually uncommon, usually associated with pregnancy, rheumatoid arthritis, or decreased thyroid activity. Also, pain is more noticeable at night, rather than during activity. Finally, a quick test for CTS is to place the tips of your thumb and index finger together, forming a circle. Hold the circle closed while another person tries to pry your fingers apart. If your fingers are strong and can keep the circle closed, you probably don’t have CTS.

The wrist, tendon, and forearm pain most of us experience after too much time at the computer is due to repetitive stress syndrome (RSS) - basically, too much of the same activity repeated frequently over too long a time. These new pains can be very uncomfortable and cause significant limitation and frustration.

The primary solution is rest and avoidance of the irritating activities. In practice, rest can mean relative rest.3 One key approach for computer-related repetitive stress is to begin using the opposite hand to do mouse or trackpad activities. This may take a while, but its a highly effective method. And, once your non-dominant hand gets up to speed, you’ve got two hands that are smart, not only one!

What about chiropractic treatment? Several trouble spots may contribute to RSS, for example, tight shoulder and neck muscles. Your chiropractor will do a complete physical examination and determine the sources of the problem.

Treatment may include gentle chiropractic manipulation to improve the mobility of your neck and remove stress from that area of your spine. Trigger point therapy will help to relieve pain and relax tight muscular “knots” in your shoulder girdle and forearm.

Treatment combined with relative rest and rehabilitative exercises will likely result in rapid improvement, decreased pain, greater mobility, and a renewed focus on the work you want to get done, rather than the pain that is getting in your way!

1Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/carpal_tunnel/detail_carpal_tunnel.htm. 2Piazzini DB, et al. A systematic review of conservative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Clin Rehabil 21(4):299-314, 2007. 3Akuthota V, et al. Shoulder and elbow overuse injuries in sports. Arch Med Phys Rehabil 85(3 Suppl 1):S52-58, 2004.

We certainly live in stressful times. It’s not easy to assess whether our era is the most stressful, but we do have plenty of daily stress. The job, the home, the kids, the relatives, and the economy - all these stresses add up and yet we wonder why we have so many aches and pains.

There are so many ailments that are stress-related. Americans are notoriously overweight. Overeating is a stress-coping mechanism.1 Headaches and backaches are often associated with increased stress. There’s a strong correlation between high blood pressure and stress, ulcers and stress, and even cancer and stress.

What can we do? The external stresses in our lives aren’t going away. Our activity-filled lives are busy and complex - there’s always going to be stress. The key is to help avoid or ease the physical effects of stress. Interestingly, chiropractic treatment can be of great assistance in reducing the effects of stress on the body.

Stress can cause muscles to tighten. This is an unconscious reaction. Tight muscles cause a cascade of further muscle tightening, shortening of muscles and ligaments, and a resulting decrease of mobility in joints, particularly shoulder joints, hip joints, and joints of the spine.2,3

This overall mechanical effect of stress has a number of additional consequences. All extra unconscious muscle activity wastes precious nutritional resources and uses up energy needed for critical body functions. Lactic acid accumulates, irritating nerve endings and further increasing muscular tightness. And, importantly, the losses in spinal joint mobility lead directly to increased levels of pain. This, of course, leads to more stress.

This vicious circle of stress, muscular tightness, and pain can be relieved and reduced by chiropractic treatment.4 Chiropractic therapy is specially designed to improve joint mobility of the spine and pelvis. This gentle, effective treatment gradually restores maximal spinal motion. Muscle tightness is alleviated, metabolic processes can begin to return to normal, and nutrients become more available to help maintain healthy functioning. Levels of pain are reduced, and we become better able to withstand the physical effects of stress.

Your chiropractor will explain the many benefits of treatment, and will provide instruction in stretching techniques and specific exercises that help maintain the positive results of therapy.

There will always be stress. We can learn how to reduce the physical effects of stress, and become stronger, healthier, and happier in the process. ——————————————————————————–

Take a Break! A few quick tips -

Get up out of your chair or leave your workbench and walk over to an open window. Change your point-of-view. Breathe some fresh air. Go for a five-minute walk, either in the corridors of your building or out-of-doors. Call a friend and chat for five minutes. Close your eyes, clear your mind, and take an imaginary vacation - relaxing on a warm beach, deep-sea fishing on a beautiful yacht, or skiing down a gorgeous mountain.

These short, focused breaks can help reduce muscular tightness and physical stress, and also help your brain recharge so you can be more creative and productive!

1Marchesini G, et al: Psychiatric distress and health-related quality of life in obesity. Diabetes Nutr Metab 16(3):145-154, 2003 2Weickgenant AL, et al: Coping activities in chronic low back pain: relationship with depression. Pain 53(1):95-103, 1993 3Burns JW: Arousal of negative emotions and symptom-specific reactivity in chronic low back pain patients. Emotion 6(2):309-319, 2006 4Hurwitz EL, et al. A randomized trial of chiropractic and medical care for patients with low back pain. Spine 31(6):611-621, 2006

Natural treatments for migraine headaches have been available for a long time and have often been an effective alternative to stop migraine pain naturally. Migraine sufferers who have to deal with the debilitating pain these headaches bring, can turn to home remedies and natural therapies instead of having to take powerful pain killing medication. There are a number of accepted alternative therapies for migraine headaches that have been shown to provide effective and safe relief from headache pain, as well as being effective in the prevention of future migraine headache attacks. As an alternative to conventional medication, alternative treatments can bring prompt and long lasting relief.

Based on the ancient principles of Chinese medicine, the use of acupuncture has become an accepted alternative treatment for migraine headaches. For at least the past 25 years, people have turned to acupuncture to treat many illnesses and conditions and migraine sufferers in the United States and Europe have benefited from the use of acupuncture to stop migraine pain naturally. Acupuncture involves the placing of fine needles into key areas of the body, focused around the bodies important organs such as the heart, stomach, lungs, kidney and liver. The placing of needles around these important body organs helps to unblock energy flow in the body. By helping to channel the body’s energy, acupuncture can relieve pain and discomfort.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest medical techniques in the world, practiced in China for over 2,000 years. It is an FDA-approved treatment for a number of illnesses, especially pain management and the treatment of chronic pain, and has been shown to be an effective alternative treatment for migraine headaches.

Research indicates that acupuncture may be just as effective a treatment for migraine headaches as many other accepted treatments. Some believe acupuncture works for headaches as a relaxation technique or because it has a placebo effect. In other words, patients feel better simply because they expect an improvement in their health. Others believe that the “needle cure” alters the way that people register pain in the brain.

There are over 800 energy centers in the body. Acupuncture uses very thin needles to release the body’s energy in these energy center, sometimes referred to as chi. The release of this energy prompts the body to actually heal itself. You can find the energy points on the meridians of the body, which can be found at various points on the body starting at the head and ending in the feet.

The body’s life energy or chi can be found flowing through the meridians of the body. When the chi or the flow of energy is blocked for any reason, the body can become ill, producing aches and pains in various parts of the body. There are many reasons for blocked chi including illness, improper diet and even the weather. Acupuncture can be an effective therapy for migraine headaches by unblocking the energy flow and bringing improved health to the migraine sufferer.

Acupuncture practitioners who are knowledgeable about headache treatment can help migraine sufferers stop migraine pain naturally and provide long lasting relief from the pain of headaches. They will design a long term plan for the treatment of the headaches based upon a detailed assessment of the patient. Many people who use acupuncture to treat migraine headaches experience long term relief. In many instances, acupuncture can stop migraine headaches completely.

A good 70 percent of America’s 30 million elementary school students use computers, according to a recent New York Times article. As a result of this increased usage, doctors of chiropractic are treating more young patients suffering from the effects of working at computer stations that are either designed for adults or poorly designed for children. Many children are already suffering from repetitive motion injuries (RMI) such as carpal tunnel syndrome and chronic pain in the hands, back, neck and shoulders.

A recently published study conducted by a team of researchers from Cornell University found that 40 percent of the elementary school children they studied used computer workstations that put them at postural risk. The remaining 60 percent scored in a range indicating “some concern.”

“Emphasis needs to be placed on teaching children how to properly use computer workstations,” stated Dr. Scott Bautch, past president of the American Chiropractic Association’s Council on Occupational Health. “Poor work habits and computer workstations that don not fit a child’s body during the developing years can have harmful physical effects that can last a lifetime. Parents need to be just as concerned about their children’s interaction with their computer workstations as they are with any activities that may affect their children’s long-term health,” added Dr. Bautch.

What can you do? To reduce the possibility of your child suffering painful and possibly disabling injuries, the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and its Council on Occupational Health offer the following tips:

If children and adults in your home share the same computer workstation, make certain that the workstation can be modified for each child’s use. Position the computer monitor so the top of the screen is at or below the child’s eye level. This can be accomplished by taking the computer off its base or stand, or having the child sit on firm pillows or phone books to reach the desired height. Make sure the chair at the workstation fits the child correctly. An ergonomic back cushion, pillow or a rolled-up towel can be placed in the small of the child’s back for added back support. There should be two inches between the front edge of the seat and the back of the knees. The chair should have arm supports so that elbows are resting within a 70- to 135-degree angle to the computer keyboard. Wrists should be held in a neutral position while typing - not angled up or down. The mousing surface should be close to the keyboard so your child doesn’t have to reach or hold the arm away from the body. The child’s knees should be positioned at an approximate 90- to 120-degree angle. To accomplish this angle, feet can be placed on a foot rest, box, stool or similar object. You can reduce eyestrain by making sure there is adequate lighting and that there is no glare on the monitor screen. Use an antiglare screen if necessary. Limit your child’s time at the computer and make sure he or she takes periodic stretch breaks during computing time. Stretches can include: clenching hands into fists and moving them in 10 circles inward and 10 circles outward; placing hands in a praying position and squeezing them together for 10 seconds and then pointing them downward and squeezing them together for 10 seconds; spreading fingers apart and then closing them one by one; standing and wrapping arms around the body and turning all the way to the left and then all the way to the right. Your child’s muscles need adequate hydration to work properly and avoid injury. Encourage your child to drink four 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Carbonated beverages, juices and other sweet drinks are not a substitute. Urge your child’s school or PTA officials to provide education on correct computer ergonomics and to install ergonomically correct workstations. “If your child continues to complain of pain and strain from sitting at a computer, see a doctor of chiropractic,” urges Dr. Bautch. “A chiropractor can help alleviate your child’s pain and help prevent further injury.

New American research suggests that a hot day can increase the chance of a migraine the very next day, leading to the notion that weather triggers migraines.

The potential risk rises 7.5% for every 5 Celsius (9 Fahrenheit) increment in temperature.

Unlike other headaches, migraines are chronic, more usual in women (perhaps because of hormonal issues) and are usually genetically linked.

Diet can influence how many migraines you get, caffeine and alcohol withdrawal are also connected to headaches.

Current estimates have almost 18% of women and 6% of men in the United States admitting to dealing with these crushing headaches.

The options to help cope with the nausea and pain have improved tremendously, and this along with life-style changes and other self-help strategies can really make a difference in the regularity and severeness of headaches for many.

As well as a rise in temperature, this study found a link between lower barometer readings and migraine headaches. Therefore keeping an eye on air pressure or a coming storm could also be a sensible idea.

The connection however isn’t as strong as the one to temperature, but it is present and might give a sufferer an early idea that a headache is more likely.

Climbers might find that air pressure at higher altitudes can boost the chance of a headache.

Amazingly the research identified no link between air pollution and headaches.

The research, printed in the March 10, 2009 issue of the journal Neurology, involved over 7,000 participants whose headache had them going to the emergency department of a well-known U.S. hospital, Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, between May 2000 and December 2007.

Three quarters (75%) of the subjects were adult females. Of the total number of subjects 2,250 were diagnosed with migraine; 4,803 with tension or unspecified headaches.

The researchers also employed weather and pollution monitors to spot environmental factors like temperature, air pollution index and barometric pressure a week prior to and a week following the patients visit.

“Fairly consistently, it was warmer on the days that individuals came in than on control days before and afterwards,” stated Dr. Kenneth Mukamal, lead author on the study and a doctor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Its not understood why (or how) temperature might be tied in to migraines.

Of course hot days lead us to having air conditioning on to cool the air inside. The heat means that doing any activity outside hot and sweaty.

And being dehydrated is more likely on hot days. Headaches and migraines are very complex processes that may be impacted by umpteen things, some of which science has yet to understand.

Dr. Mukamal points out, “These findings help tell us that the environment around us does affect our health and, in terms of headaches, may be impacting many, many people on a daily basis.”

At last the research confirms what most individuals who deal with migraines on an all to regular basis, that the climate can spark a headache.

Knowing this it is a good idea to to monitor temperature and barometer readings and use this information to warn of a potential attack.

This does not mean taking medication but rather having your sunglasses to hand, keep eyestrain to a minimum and avoid potential triggers that might bring on a withering headache that makes you want to run for the quietest, darkest place you can find.

Next - just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on how to the migraine weather link, plus get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for more details on this study of the link between migraine and weather.

Migraine headache pain is something unlike anything else. It overwhelms your entire body. It’s all encompassing nature makes it difficult to participate in even the most mundane of tasks.

In most circumstances, the majority of sufferers first thought is to visit their GP. While it’s true that many prescribed medications do give you some sort of short term relief, the side effects with those medicines can be dangerous and even make matters more distressing.

Don’t worry there is more you can do.

Migraines Relieved Naturally

Natural remedies and treatments are not only harmless and efficient, but they can also allow for more permanent relief. Among the simplest ways to ease the symptoms from your migraines is to modify the food you eat.

Your diet is an important factor when you look at your health overall, but it also has significant affects on your migraines. Reducing or eliminating certain food from your diet can change these affects.

Sugar and caffeine are tops on this list. Dairy products also play a bigger role in triggering migraines that many people are not aware of.

Foods containing natural chemicals are often the main triggers of migraines. Citrusy foods such as lemons and oranges will play a big part in this, so immediately eliminating foods such as these will help reduce your migraines.

Ginger is a great additive for food to try easing the pain of your migraines. Ginger can be added to meals, to a range of drinks and can be taken in tablet form as a supplement.

If you are planning to add ginger to your diet, you should inform your doctor as any medications that have been prescribed for you could be affected by the change.

Seeing your doctor first will make sure that you don’t make your migraines worse better you make them better. Better to be safe than sorry.

If you are looking for some migraine relief then this is the website for you. You can find all kinds of information, and I am sure that you can find a migraine treatment to benefit you.

For several years, researchers have been interested in the value of Theobroma cacao in treating a variety of disorders. A new study presented at the International Headache Society’s 14th International Headache Congress hosted by the American Headache Society (AHS) in Philadelphia, has provided the first evidence for the value of cocoa as a dietary supplement in repressing inflammatory responses within the trigeminal ganglia which are thought to play a role in migraine.

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