My name is Dr. James Heath and I have been a Chiropractor on the border of Wyoming, Kentwood and Grand Rapids Michigan for over two decades and one of the biggest complaints I have heard from my patients are headaches.
Chronic headaches and migraines are one of the most common reason people will visit the doctor. Headaches can steal people’s quality of life, affecting work performance and relationships. It not only affects the quality of life for the person who is having the headache, but also the lives of all those around them.
There are many kinds of headaches:
- Sinus Headaches, where pain is usually behind the forehead and or cheekbones.
- Cluster headaches, where pain is in and around one eye.
- Tension headaches, where pain is like a band squeezing the head.
- Migraines, where pain, nausea and visual changes are typical.
- And stress headaches, where the pain is in the back of the head.
The most common over the counter treatments that people prescribe themselves for headaches are Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin(Ibuprofen) or aspirin. All three do what they say they will do in many cases, which is to decrease the pain. Medications can cover up these warning signs but will never get to the actual cause.
A frequent and overlooked cause of headaches is the malfunction of spinal bones in the neck and upper back. When bones of the spine lose their normal position or motion, sensitive nerves and blood vessels to the head can be affected. Spinal nerves and the related tissues are stretched or irritated, producing throbbing headaches.
There are numerous studies that demonstrate that patients suffering from chronic headaches and migraines benefit more from long-term chiropractic care than drug therapy.
A Duke University study, for example, found that adjustments (or spinal manipulation) provided significant relief for patients with headaches that originate in the neck, and resulted in fewer side effects than medication.
Another study from the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics stated, “The results of this study show that spinal manipulative therapy (chiropractic adjustments) is an effective treatment for tension headaches… Four weeks after cessation (stopping) treatment… the patients who received spinal manipulative therapy experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit to all major outcomes in contrast to the patients that received amitriptyline (drug) therapy, who reverted to baseline values.” Essentially meaning, once you took the drugs away, the headaches came back.
The list of studies goes on and on…
Getting to the cause of the health issue is always first and foremost here at Chiropractic First. We understand that while symptoms can be problematic and affect your quality of life, it is even more important what those symptoms mean and how it will affect your health.
We do a thorough history, exam and X-rays to find where the spinal subluxations (misalignments with nerve involvement) are, what levels they are located and how that relates to the overall health of your body.
Once that is established we provide our practice members a thorough report of findings on what is happening with your body and what we can do to make you healthier.
Call us at (616) 538-1780 and set up an evaluation today. We have been serving Wyoming MI, Kentwood MI and Grand Rapids MI for over 26 years and we look forward to being your family’s chiropractor for the next 20 years or more!
Your Chiropractor,
Dr. James J. Heath,
403- 44th St. SE
Wyoming MI 49548
(616) 538-1780
