It’s not all in your head - Treat tension headaches at the source

Treat tension headaches at the source  - by Foot Levelers

Everyone experiences headaches, but did you know there are two main categories? Most people – in fact, 95 percent of people according to the American Chiropractic Association – suffer from primary headaches.[1]

 The most common form of primary headaches, tension headaches, can be triggered by poor posture, sedentary behavior, sleep patterns and work ergonomics. Add in other factors such as stress, fatigue, and malnutrition and a throbbing headache can surface abruptly – a painful way to carry out the day.

 Secondary headaches are typically more severe than primary headaches and are the result of an underlying disorder such as meningitis or a serious neck injury.

 Typical responses for a headache are to reach for the medicine cabinet, lie down for a short time, or simply try to ignore it. Unfortunately, most remedies do not address the issue where it starts, and relief is short-lived.

 Chiropractors across the world will agree – the solution is not to provide relief temporarily, but to find the source of pain, treat it, and let headaches be a thing of the past.

 One thing leads to another

Chiropractors have an extensive knowledge of joint, muscle, and bone functionality. Their expertise in the musculoskeletal system gives them an ability to identify pain at the source. They know that pain in one section of the body can be a response to a disturbance in a completely different area.

 When a tension headache occurs, we experience cranial and facial pain, even though there is not an injury to the face or the brain.

 According to a New York Times article, “The brain is insensitive to pain, so that is not what hurts when you have a headache. Rather, the pain occurs in the following areas:

• The tissues covering the brain
• The attaching structures at the base of the brain
•  Muscles and blood vessels around the scalp, face, and neck”[2]

Most tension headaches are a result of a disturbance in another part of the body. Multiple factors can intensify the issue such as light, work environments, food, and sleep patterns.

 How chiropractic can help

Throughout time, our bodies adapt to repetitive poor posture and work ergonomics.

As this happens, alignment in the neck, upper back and spine become compromised.

This stress and misalignment upon the musculoskeletal system can be a great causer of tension headaches.

 It is important to consult with a chiropractor to discover what is causing headaches, and how to treat them. People may be experiencing headaches but are unaware that their posture and musculoskeletal health can be the source.

 Chiropractors can help by restoring range of motion and correcting the body’s biomechanics through adjustments and spinal manipulation.

 A headache is a message from your body, telling you that something is out of order. If headaches are becoming a common problem, it is up to you to take control – visit with your chiropractor and fix the problem at the source.

[1] American Chiropractic Association. (Accessed: February 2012) Headaches & Chiropractic. http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=2186

[2] New York Times. (Accessed: February 2012) Headache, Cluster In-Depth Report. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/cluster-headaches/print.html

The Importance of Vitamin D

For the past few years, there has been a lot of attention placed on the significance of Vitamin D for good health.  I agree with that wholeheartedly.

You can use Vitamin D to your advantage to:

• Fight Colds

·         Promote absorption of calcium in the bone and improve bone health

·         Boost immune function

·         Reduce inflammation

·         Slow the aging process

·         Protect against colon, prostrate and breast cancers, as well as other cancers

For such an amazing nutrient, very few foods in nature contain Vitamin D. The best sources are salmon, tuna, mackerel (especially the flesh), and fish liver oils. Beef liver, cheese and egg yolks also contain small amounts.

If these foods are not appealing to you, there’s good news: you don't have to eat them to get your daily dose of Vitamin D!  Vitamin D is actually produced in your body when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike your skin. The UV rays trigger synthesis of Vitamin D, which then gets converted in your liver into its active form.

One of the best ways to get Vitamin D is to spend 10-15 minutes a day outside in the sun. Keep in mind that wearing sunscreen will prevent you from getting adequate Vitamin D. In the summertime, an easy solution is skipping sunscreen on your legs for the first 15 minutes in the sun. Just make sure you apply it in time to prevent any burns or damage.

How do I get Vitamin D in the winter?

Capturing sunshine is hard to do in the winter, which is why my clinic carries Bio-D Mulsion and Bio-D Mulsion Forte from Biotics Research Corporation.  Just one drop provides your daily dose of Vitamin D, and is easily absorb by your body.

How much Vitamin D do I need each day?

For all ages, I recommend a daily dose of at least 400 IU.  For those who are:  still growing, have low Vitamin D levels in their blood work, are post-menopausal, pregnant, or nursing, I recommend as much as 2,000 IU daily.

The Bio-D Mulsion contains 100% of the recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D.  The Bio-D Muslion Forte is perfect for those who need the extra boost of Vitamin D.

If preventing colon, prostate and breast cancers, building strong bones, fighting off colds, and slowing aging sounds like a good deal to you -- look for the answer in one simple package: Vitamin D.