Chronic headaches are a mystery to most of us. Chiropractors regularly treat them. Why they occur seems to be the most common question. Some patients’ headaches can be easily explained but many seem to get headaches for no apparent reason. An often-overlooked cause of headaches is the spine and spinal trauma. How does this occur?
There are delicate attachments of connective tissue that link muscles in your neck areas around your spinal cord. One theory to the headaches is that tension can develop in these structures producing headaches and head pain. Another possibility to headaches is that they may be due to forward head posture.
Forward head posture occurs when the head is thrust forward in the classic bad posture pose. This is a little like a turtle neck. It is also sometimes referred to as a military neck. This can remove the natural curve in the neck causing undue stress on the spine and head. Since the head is quite heavy weighing approximately 10-14 pounds, the muscles have to counter this weight. When the neck muscles resist the load of the head, they can develop tensions, knots, trigger points, and sometimes spasms in the neck. Normally the head is more balanced over both the shoulders.
Another neck problem that may cause headaches is a joint injury/sprain that can occur after whiplash trauma from a car accident. Over some time, this may lead to joint blockage where there is not the normal free and fluid motion from side to side. Quite often other joints must compensate for this lack of movement with hypermobility of the joints. Your muscles can become tense in these areas to protect the spine from unnatural movements overall.
These types of disorders are very common in society. They should be ruled out before leaning towards using medications over the long term. It is always important to have an accurate diagnosis before proceeding with any treatment. If your headaches have become chronic long-term and just never seem to go away, it is a sign that you are not getting to the cause of the problem.
Correcting neck disorders when they occur is always a best bet when it comes to treatment. Headache can sometimes seem to come out of nowhere. If there is history of neck trauma in your past, the neck can and should be a part of your headache management strategy. At the minimum the neck needs to be examined by the proper physician.
Chiropractic care for the neck has been shown in multiple clinical trials to help patients with both tension-type and migraine headaches. In these studies, the neck or cervical spine is adjusted based on local problems of poor posture and mobility. To find out more information, headache sufferers can contact the chiropractors at New Century Spine Centers in San Diego at 619-630-9153.
Learn more about headaches. Stop by the back pain website site where you can get free information about chiropractic care and what it can do for you.
EMG’s and Nerve Conduction Tests: Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Tests are performed to learn more about the health of peripheral nerves. These tests can establish if there might be a pinched nerve, and give a numeric value to how severely it is pinched and often where it is pinched. The test can last anywhere from a half an hour to an hour. This information is valuable to your chiropractic treatment plan and to your attorney.
Nerve Conduction test utilizes small electrodes, like EKG patches, that are placed along the course of the nerve. The nerve is stimulated by a small current and that nerve will transmit a signal along the course of the nerve to the electrodes. Healthy nerves verses sick nerves will transmit a strong and quicker signal.
The EMG portion of the test measures the electrical activity in muscles. Muscles normally receive constant electrical signals from healthy nerves, and in return “broadcast” their own healthy electrical signals. During the EMG portion of the test, the doctor places acupuncture like needles into the muscles to record the electrical signal from the various muscles in the arm or leg. If a muscle doesn’t receive adequate signals from a sick nerve, it broadcasts signals, which show the muscle is confused.
The above diagnostic tests are important for the doctor to perform and correlate which nerves are damaged or have a serious condition. This information is passed to your chiropractor for treatment of your condition and attorney for a complete report of your condition.
There are minimal risks with these tests. The muscles that are tested may feel soreness were the electrodes are placed or there needle inserted.
Documenting hidden injuries are discovered by diagnostic testing. If you or someone you know have been injured and you can not pin point where the pain is, then this test may be what you need.
Want to find out more about Diagnostic Testing, then visit RB Spine Center’s site on how to choose the best services for your needs.
