Headaches & Migraines
Headaches
I am shocked at the number of people I saw every week who have – for many years – suffered from daily headaches. Many of them needed to take aspirin or stronger medications in order to be able to function on a daily basis. Not only is the consumption of these medications damaging to the body – especially the liver, kidneys and stomach – but headaches can be treated naturally in most cases without dangerous chemicals.
The most common causes of headaches are:
Dehydration and Sodium Deficiency
Our brain is comprised of 80% water. If you are low in sodium (salt), it is difficult for your body to retain and keep water inside your cells, where it needs to be for you to be healthy and well hydrated. This is one of the things that sodium does. Because water follows it wherever it goes, if there isn’t enough sodium, your body will release water out of your body through your kidneys. Just like your stomach “growls” when it is hungry, when your brain is dehydrated it will give you a dry mouth. If you continue to ignore this signal and don’t drink water and increase your sodium intake, the protective covering around your brain called the “dura” will squeeze and contract. The dura has pain fibers that will fire up and you will feel this as a headache. Your brain has no pain fibers, only the dura protecting it. Most people are chronically dehydrated and can get better by simply adding a pinch of salt to every cup of water that they drink.
Neck Problems
Most headaches that I have treated successfully have their roots in the neck. Spinal nerves that branch out from the spine that travel up to the head get trapped or “pinched” by the vertebrae. The nerves become inflamed and that pain travels on the path of the nerve to the head. When we feel too much stress in life, our spinal muscles contract, shorten abnormally and pull the vertebrae in our neck out of alignment. This results in the spinal nerve(s) being “pinched”.
Gripping Headache Gone!
“Your work took away a gripping headache that had been with me for three days, cleared my head and stopped the annoying fever to chills roller coaster I’d been on. As soon as I felt the energy flowing up my neck and into my head I knew I was over the worst of the illness. About 20 minutes after I left your office I realized I felt comfortable and calm except for some mild cold symptoms. All of the rest of the full body response to the virus was gone. Thanks for your wonderful healing work, Dr. Hans!”
B.R.
Migraines
Although I saw several patients with migraines every week, they were not as common as headaches that are caused by “pinched” nerves in the neck and/or dehydration. If you experience headaches frequently, it is important to distinguish which type of headache it is, as this will make a difference in treatment approach and the time it will take to resolve the problem.
After 30 plus years in practice and having listened to thousands of patients tell me their stories about their aches and pains, I have made a few observations regarding migraines that have held true with almost every patient I have treated for this condition.
The three most common causes of migraines appear to be the following:
Genetics
There is usually a family history of migraines, most often from the maternal side.
Stress/Trauma
Migraines may also be the result of a hyperactive reaction of the central nervous system in response to chemicals released by the body during a stressful event and/or trauma.
Chemical Sensitivites
Allergic reaction to certain foods or environmental factors, such as cigarette smoke, toxic household cleaners, shampoos/soaps, etc.
Symptoms
The most common migraine symptoms are:
“Aura” of flashing lights
Throbbing pain on one side of the head
Physiologically caused by compression, or “squeezing” of the Dura Matter (a “sack-like” elastic structure covering the brain and spinal cord) and compression of related blood vessels, as a reaction to a stressful event. This pressure activates sensory nerves that cause pain. The squeezing reaction usually occurs in one side of the brain, but can appear on the other side in a different episode.
Sensitivity to light, sound, or strong smells that worsen the migraine
You feel compelled to lie down in a completely dark and quiet room.
Pre-emptive feeling that a migraine is coming
Change in mental state, confusion, irritability, etc.
Migraine symptoms also include pain behind the eye, stuffy nose and watery eyes, neck pain, nausea or vomiting, dizziness and vertigo.
Treatment of migraines
For immediate relief, most people rely on medications. However, long term use of any medication can have serious side effects and may even mimic the very condition you are trying to treat! Non-invasive natural approaches like acupuncture, homeopathy, biofeedback for stress management and chiropractic have been successful at not only treating the symptoms of migraine headaches for the long term, but also in treating the root of the problem.
If your migraines are initiated by food sensitivities, controlling your diet can have a significant impact in reducing or eliminating the problem.
Chiropractic Treatment Timeline
Unlike tension headaches that result from “pinched” nerves in the neck and/or dehydration that can be treated successfully within a few months’ time, migraines can take up to 6 months or longer to treat under consistent care. Results will depend on the individual’s history, lifestyle and commitment to following a treatment plan.
If your migraines are initiated by food sensitivities, controlling your diet can have a significant impact in reducing or eliminating the problem.
I no longer take pills to relieve my migraines!!
“I am shocked!” – Those were the first words out of my mouth after my 9th treatment with Dr. Hans. I have been suffering with migraine headaches for about six years and now they’re gone!. I have always known that chiropractic was the answer for me. But even though I was in the chiropractic field and getting treatment for over six years, the migraines wouldn’t let up. Over the counter Motrin or prescription Ibuprofin (800mg) became my answer for relief. I would pop pills as if they were candy. Damaging my body was not on my mind; alleviating the pain was my concern. After getting treatments by Dr. Hans, I can also say I no longer take pills to relieve my migraines!!
M.M.
No more migraines.
After the first visit with Dr. Jacob Hans, I noticed considerable flexibility in my back. I now breathe from my diaphragm as opposed to the shallow breathing that I had been doing all my life.
My posture has improved. I have less arthritis, and I have had no migraines since I started treatment. My night vision has remarkably improved, and I no longer have pain or pressure in my eyes.
I had a soprano with perfect pitch which was lost and is now restored.
I can and do highly recommend his services as a gifted healer.
B. D.