THE SPINAL COLUMN
The spine is made up of 24 moveable vertebrae. When the vertebrae (bones I the spine) are in a proper alignment they protect the nerve system. The fact that they can move allows us to bend, twist and be athletic. At the same time their ability to move leaves the vulnerable to shifting and getting stuck out of proper alignment. When this happens, the vertebrae cause the nerves to become obstructed, causing pain & other symptoms.
The joints in the spine are connected by a ligament called a spinal disc. The disc acts like a spacer that maintains an opening for nerves to exit the spine and connect (like electrical wires) to other tissues and organs in the body. When proper signals sent from the brain, through the nerves to the body, the body functions optimally. But when the signal is obstructed, the body cannot function properly and over time pain & symptoms show up.
1. First, there is no such thing as a normal headache. That is like saying you have a normal tumor. When the body is experiencing pain it is a sign that something is wrong. If you are experiencing headaches or migraines it is a sign that something is wrong. Although covering the pain relieves the symptom it doesn’t do anything to correct the cause. Think about your health from a long-term perspective so that you can get to the bottom of what is causing your headaches and migraines. This way you can empower yourself to correct the problem rather than being physically disempowered by repeated headaches & migraines.
2. Many people don’t realize that their spine is a primary reason why they have headaches. 70% of headaches are caused by structural shifts in the neck and upper back. When the spine shifts outside of a normal alignment, it causes the muscles in the neck to spasm. The muscles at the base of the skull put pressure on the nerves that wrap around the head causing neck pain, headaches & migraines.
3. Headaches are not only caused by structural shifts of they spine but hormone changes can also cause headaches & migraines. Women often experience chemistry headaches. They are most when she is on her period and her hormones are changing. The nerves in the lower back play a role in these types of headaches because they connect to the ovaries which produce estrogen and progesterone.
4. Poor posture, like tech neck, causes the head to weigh more. In a normal alignment she head should sit directly over the neck and shoulders, the shoulders should be over the ankles. With anterior head syndrome, every inch the head moves forward will double the weight of the head. Image holding a bowling ball up directly over your elbow. It will weigh however much the bowling ball weighs. If you extend your arm and your hand is an inch or two in front of your elbow, the weight of the bowling ball will place more stress on your arm muscles. The same thing happens when someone experiences anterior head syndrome. You can tell if you have anterior head syndrome if your ear is in front of your shoulder when taking a picture from a profile (side) view.
5. Most people do not know that Chiropractic has an 85% success rate for treating headaches and migraines. Since the structure of the spine directly effects the function of the nerve system there are multiple ways that correcting the spinal alignment can relieve headaches & migraines. Relieving muscle spasms at the base of the skull and relieving pressure on the nerves that travel to organs that produce hormones like the ovaries & reducing the load of the head on the neck are all ways that chiropractic helps patients get relief from headaches and migraines.
DENVER GONSTEAD CHIROPRACTOR
As a Gonstead Chiropractor in Denver, I use an objective measurement to find structural shifts in the spine as well as nerve irritation. My goal is to make a long-term correction of the spine back within a normal functional range. This is very similar to how an orthodontist corrects the alignment of teeth.
We use objective indicators such as nervoscope, posture analysis & Xray to identify structural shifts of the spine. This is similarly to how an engineer assessing the structural integrity of a building. I pair the information that we find to create a well-rounded care plan to help patients get from where they are to where they want to be.