Headaches

Headaches: there are many causes and types. No matter the cause, if you are experiencing a headache – you want it to go away and fast!

To find relief, many suffers seek medication to cover up headache symptoms. The use of such drugs can bring temporary relief by numbing your nervous system so it doesn’t register the pain. While short relief may be found, there is a price: adverse affects on your kidneys or liver are common with persistent use! In most cases, they do not fix the original cause of your headache!

One of the most common sources of headaches can be traced to the spinal bones of your neck: they do not support the weight of your head correctly. These spinal bones can become subtly misaligned and loose normal motion and result in nerve and muscle irritation or even affect the blood flow to your head.

Chiropractic physicians are trained to rule out other causes of headache and locate the dysfunctional spinal bones. Using specific chiropractic, orthopedic and neurological test, chiropractors like Dr. Martin Schmaltz are able to determine the cause of your headache and if you would likely benefit from chiropractic care.

If your condition is determined to likely benefit from chiropractic care, Dr. Schmaltz will use specific chiropractic adjustments to not only give you relief, but to normalize spinal function.  Proper care will seek to restore as much as possible the normal alignment and motion of the spinal bones. This in turn will result in decrease nerve and muscle irritation and symptoms.

While no doctor can help 100% of the people or guarantee results, since graduating in 1984, Dr. Schmaltz has seen numerous patients suffering with headaches and has a high success rate!

Headaches: What are the causes?

Since many headaches are caused by faulty spinal motion and alignment of the neck: what causes this? In many instances, it is due to trauma such as car accidents, whiplash injury, sports injury or slips and falls. These incidents cause a rapid stretching of the ligaments and muscles, resulting in the misalignment of the spinal bones.

In other cases, it is prolonged poor body mechanics or posture cause a slow stretching of the ligaments and muscles. This is seen in people who sit at a desk or computer day in day out, they develop conditions such as an Upper Cross Syndrome. One of the common symptoms of the UCS is headache and neck pain.

In some cases, there might be multiple causes of headache. Our exam process helps us determine this.

How long till I get some relief?

Many patients find relief of their headache pain relatively quick.  Others notice a gradual decrease over the period of their treatments. There are many factors that influence the rate of recovery, things such as degenerative joint disease, work postures, stress levels, sleep patterns, computer or TV usage and other health conditions that may be present.  Rest assured, we will only continue our treatments if we feel confident that they will work for you.

Should I come in if I am not hurting?

Chiropractic care is not used like an aspirin: only when you are hurting. Because it focuses on the structural CAUSE of your headaches, repeated visits work even when you are not experiencing a headache. The regular spinal adjustments work to strengthen and retrain the ligaments and muscle that support your spine.

Chiropractic: the natural and safe alternative!

Chiropractic is a natural and safe method of treating headaches.  The American Chiropractic Association states:

“A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.”

“Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.”

As you can see, chiropractic is both safe and effective.

If you, or someone you know is suffering from headaches, call us immediately at (314) 731-4383 or email us to request an appointment.

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