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San Leandro Chiropractor

Chronic Headaches and Natural Healing Remedies

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headache

The definition of chronic headache – occurs about 15 times a month during 3 months period.  There are primary and secondary cephalgias. The primary one includes – migraine, tension type and cluster headaches. Very frequent or prolonged ones are know as the chronic cephalgias. Medical conditions such as infections or intracranial pressure will be classified as secondary headaches. The percentage of the secondary headaches is very small.

There are varieties of treatments available for different types of headaches. Prescription medications such as, beta blockers, Analgesics, antidepressant and injection of anesthetics are used for headaches treatment. These medications are only providing temporary relief and are not treating the cause of the problem. Frequent use of these medications will loose the therapeutic effect. Many have serious side effects. There are varieties of alternative therapies for pain relief which are quite as effective and without any side effects.

  1. Meditation, Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Yoga – these are stress management and relaxation techniques therapy.
  2. Dehydration could be another cause of headaches: Drinking up to eight glasses of water a day can help you lessen the onset of headaches and be in optimal health.
  3. Massage therapy is a great way to relieve stress. Massaging scalp, forehead, sub occipital muscles and neck could help relieve the headaches
  4. Acupuncture can help relief the muscle tension.
  5. Ice pack can be used in a dry towel. Apply it to your forehead for 10-15 minutes every waking hour. Cold reduces the inflammation and relaxes tense muscles.
  6. Watch what you eat. Many of us are allergic to certain food and often times do not even aware of that.
  7. Avoid Caffeine at all times. Products such as tea, chocolate, certain medications, and some drinks contain caffeine. If used on regular bases, dependency is inevitable and can develop withdrawing of the substance which may lead to severe headaches.
  8. Foods such as: Aged Cheese , Vinegar (relish, salad, sauces, catsup), organ meat (kidney, liver), alcoholic beverages ( red wine in particular), Sour cream, Yogurt, some processed meat, yeast extracts pickles, onions, olives, fava beans, raisins, nuts, avocados and canned soups all contain Tramline. Tramline is a substance that has been found in certain foods after a breakdown of protein
  9. Food preservative and additives: MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), aspartame, saccharine, nuts, hot dogs, ham, sausage, bacon, luncheon meats, Chinese foods, caned soups, dressing, mayonnaises, frozen foods and potato chips. Many of these additives in food could be the cause of nasty headaches.
  10. Salt intake reduction will help to eliminate headaches, excessive amount of salt can and will cause headaches.
  11. Aromatherapy: Olfactory nerve or cranial nerve #1 will be stimulated by this therapy. This method of healing has been around for centuries.
  12. Reflexology:  This type of therapy seems to help some but not all headache sufferers. It is worth a try as there is no side effect from this procedure.
  13. Avoid triggers. Many things such as particular foods, stress, and direct sun light can trigger headaches. Try to avoid these triggers in the future and save yourself form needless suffering.
  14. This list would not be complete without mentioning Chiropractic Care. Your local chiropractor can help with tension, long lasting and severe headaches.

Finally, it’s important to note that frequent or severe headaches may be symptoms of another illness or disorder. If you experience frequent or severe headaches, or headaches that are accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vision problems, or dizziness, you might want to make an appointment with your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and effective treatments.  Headaches can be a sign of many different things, always consult your health care provider for any health care concerns you may have.

Question: Do you know any additional information about natural headache relief? Please leave your answer in a comment section.

Infant Chiropractic Adjustment

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Infant Chiropractic AdjustmentLast week I was visiting my family in New York City. My sister had her third child, beautiful and healthy baby boy – Gabriel. As soon as I saw my nephew my professional eye has noticed that his head was bent to the left at all times. Either he was laying down in his bed or held in hands the position of his head would not change. I could not help myself but perform a digital palpation of this one month old baby and figure out what was happening.

A little bit about the birth history. The first two children were born normally without any complications. However, the third child was born via C section. It is kind of strange because statistically the second and the third child should be relatively an easy birth. Unfortunately for my sister the last addition to the family was positioned wrong and normal delivery via birth canal would not be possible at all. This prolonged abnormal positioning in a mother’s womb was the cause of the left lateral neck tilt.

During digital palpation I have noticed that the paraspinal musculature on a right side of Gabriel’s neck was very tight. He also had very limited ROM when I tried to bend his neck to the right side. After I have finished my examination I figured out that his C6 vertebral level was out of alignment. The newborn’s vertebrae are not ossified and are very small. The best way to adjust and palpate this tiny spine is by using small fingers of both hands.

I guess one video will replace thousand words. Below is a video of an Infant Chiropractic Adjustment.

Right after Chiropractic adjustment I have rechecked Gabriel’s cervical spine and noticed that he had improved range of motion in his cervical spine. You can see at the end of this video a happy smile on his face. I guess it is a sign of my nephew saying: “Thank you uncle.”

This is an article from Parents magazine about Chiropractic Care and Children written by Holly Pevzner who is a mother of two boys.

My dad sees a chiropractor. Some of my runner friends do, to. But babies? And  for crying? It’s true.  “Today about twenty percent of my pediatric patients come in because if colic or digestive issues,” says Elise G. Hewitt, a board- certified pediatric chiropractor in Portland, OR. Baby chiro care is not as scary as it may sound. The adjustments involve short, quick impulses delivered to the spine with hands, as well as using very light touch on the bones of the skull. It’s quite comfortable for the child and can be done while he lies on parent’s lap or chest. “babies often fall asleep during treatment,” notes Hewitt.

Why it may work for you: Soon-to-be published research found that parents were eight times as likely to report a significant reduction in crying when the baby was treated with chiropractic care three or four times over a ten day-day period than if the baby wasn’t, says lead researcher Joyce Miller, associate professor in clinical sciences at the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic, in Bournemouth, England. The theory behind it: The practice helps alleviate tightness and joint issues that were caused by cramped position in utero or during birth. To find a chiropractor experienced with infants, talk to you pediatrician or go to  the website of the American Chiropractic Association

The Cost of a Caffeine Buzz

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COFFEEMajority of the people all over the world rely on at least a small  amount of caffeine in order to Charge the battery during busy work days ( which is pretty much every day). While caffeine in moderation  has some benefits – provides extra energy for a workout and keep one alert – it can also quickly become the cause for many health related  problems. So, how much is too much caffeine?

4 to 5 cups can cause nervousness, insomnia and irregular heart beat.  That is  a lot of wear and tear for a system that already deals with a lot of stress on daily bases. 3.5 to 4.5 produces higher insulin levels and reduces insulin  sensitivity, increasing diabetes risk. Diabetes could lead to many other health related problems.

2.5 to 3.5 cups of coffee increases the risk of miscarriage and low  birth-weight babies – if pregnant. Talk to your local Doc for additional information

2 to 3 cups of coffee significantly increases blood pressure,  potentially shortening your life span by five years. Five years is a long period of time. I certainly don’t want to shorten my life. Do you?

1.5 to 2.5 cups of coffee gives one more staying power for the run.  The cost – drained adrenal glands.

1 to 1.5 cups of coffee boosts your  alertness and mental performance.  That could provide short term benefit during final exam or top peak performance. If applied on regular bases one enters danger zone.

My advice: replace caffeine intake with 30 minutes of cardiovascular  exercise and you will pretty much achieve the same result with great health benefits. For those who absolutely must have caffeine in the  system I would suggest to race coffee with a green tea. Less caffeine  and more antioxidants. Last month I have written a post – “Busy Business Executives, Chiropractic and Other Healthy Tips” which is also describing the negative impact of excessive coffee intake.

Question: How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? Do you still want to drink excessive amounts of coffee?

3 New Reasons to Quit Smocking

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SmockingA better mood: A study from Disease and Prevention finds that smokers are at a higher risk of being depressed than none smokers. This research is not completely clear whether it is a depression that leads a person to smoke or the puffing that leads to it, or it is a combination of both.

Clean Genes: it is a known fact that people who smoke have a higher cancer risk. A research from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine proved that exposure to any amount of smoke could cause genetic alterations in lung cells, thus lead to malignancy over time

No scale shock: Any health care practitioners advice against of quit smocking and dieting simultaneously. Research from a journal Addiction proves that combination of both makes those who try successful at both. You can maintain your weight after smocking as the thing of the past.

Here is a very interesting link with a time table of what is happening to a body after one quits smocking – Stop Smocking Recovery Table. Below this table there are many different free download PDF reports that might be helpful to anyone who tries to quit smocking.