It is estimated that 45 million Americans regularly suffer from serious, recurring headaches as they spend upwards of $400 million each year on over-the-counter and prescription drugs searching for pain relief. In fact, because headaches are so common, some people think that getting a headache is simply a normal part of life! They couldn’t be more wrong! Headaches are a serious sign that the body is not functioning properly.
WHAT CAUSES HEADACHES?
Most headaches are usually caused from a combination of two factors. The first is due to muscular contractions of the neck that then restricts the blood supply to the brain. The second factor is due to pinched nerves caused by spinal misalignments of the neck vertebrae.
SO WHAT CAN BE DONE?
The first thing to do is seek professional help. Dr. Rothschild will be able to diagnose your problem and tell you why you are having these headaches. A “hands-on” treatment program will be recommended and/or you may be referred for further investigation if he feels that would be valuable. Management of your headaches may include chiropractic adjustments (no drugs or surgery) to normalize the function of your spine, advice on lifestyle and nutritional changes to help prevent further recurrences and advice on how you can further deal with the problem.
AND HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Knowledge is the key to preventing headaches from starting in the first place. Understanding how they are triggered will aid you in stopping them. In addition, you need to report all that you feel to Dr. Rothschild so that he knows all there is to know about how your headaches occur. Once the headache has begun, you can use heat/ice, rest/activity, or stimulation/repression techniques as Dr. R advises.
You will come to know when it is appropriate to seek care and when it is not necessary. As time goes by, you should have less and less headache as all factors are dealt with. Most patients seeking our care for headaches experience excellent results.
