Xenia Chiropractic - March Newsletter

Headaches and Chiropractic

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Seven out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea. What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Research shows that spinal adjusting – one of the primary treatments provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck. A report in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT) found that interventions commonly used in chiropractic care improved outcomes for the treatment of acute and chronic neck pain improving migraine and cervicogenic headaches.

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems. The remaining 95 percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease; the headache itself is the primary concern.

The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck. Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than in the past, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture (such as sitting in front of a computer). This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.

What Can Be Done?

Your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

• Perform spinal adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.
• Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways beyond just treatment for low-back pain. They know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of the body, and they can take steps to relieve those problems.

Hello my name is Dr. Mike Davis , Chiropractic Physician for 28 years.

Born in Springfield, Ohio raised in Madison County . Graduated from London High School, Clark State Community College , University of Cincinnati and Life Chiropractic College. I participate in Xenia community organizations including Xenia Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Knights of Columbus.

My mission is to help patients understand how Chiropractic Care can reduce pain medication, avoid surgery and live a healthy life.

Exercise Benefits

Many studies have reported the importance of exercises in managing low back pain, strengthening the low back, preventing and keeping back patients working, and to improve quality of life. Overall and when combined with chiropractic care, aerobic exercise helps promote proper digestion, keeps the muscles in proper tone and promotes better circulation. Walking briskly around the block at least once or twice is a convenient and popular activity.

There are many applicable back exercises that are available for patients also undergoing chiropractic care for lower back pain. One can classify the chiropractic patient into a flexion or extension biased category to determine the variety that is best for that patient.

For example:

If a patient feels best when bending over (flexion biased), exercises that promote low back flexion such as pulling the knees to the chest, posterior pelvic tilts, bending forward from a sitting position and others are usually helpful. If a patient is least symptomatic in extension, especially if leg pain centralizes or diminishes (extension biased), prone press-up type exercises usually yield the best results.

Other exercises that can help reduce lower back pain include:

•  Strengthening of the pelvic stabilizing muscles (trunk muscles)
•  Stretching of the hamstrings, adductors, and other overly short or tight postural muscles
•  Proprioceptive or balance promoting.

Chiropractic for Kids?

In the last few decades chiropractic care has enjoyed a tremendous boost in popularity among adults. They use it to help manage their pain, relieve chronic conditions, prevent injury, and improve range of motion, flexibility, and overall wellness. But at what age should you begin chiropractic? What is the best time to start seeing a chiropractor? The short answer is, as early as possible! The long answer is a little more detailed.

Can children get chiropractic care?

Yes, children can see a chiropractor and receive treatment. Most chiropractors will see children under 18 years of age and many will see children under 2, including infants. It is safe, non-invasive, and is medication free. Most chiropractors are trained in treating children as part of their education. The techniques are gentle but effective. Chiropractic is a safe, effective complement to regular child healthcare.

What benefits do children get from chiropractic care?

When a child’s spine is properly aligned, they tend to be healthier. Birth itself can put the body through some degree of trauma as the infant is squeezed through the birth canal, often aided by forceps or suction. Later, as they learn to crawl and walk, the falls and bumps they receive can also put stress on the body by taking the spine out of alignment and the body out of balance. Chiropractic provides children with relief from those stressors and helps them have stronger bodies to better withstand the physical stressors they will experience in adulthood.

The first 10 years of a child’s life are a time of rapid development and growth. However, even seemingly innocuous activities like using a computer or wearing a backpack can cause misalignments of the spine. Add to that sports injuries and poor posture and you have even more reasons to begin chiropractic care for your child as early as possible.

When the spine is not aligned, it can put pressure on various nerves and interrupt the pathways of the nervous system. This can result in organ malfunction or not performing at an optimal level as well as muscle issues. This can lead to a variety of symptoms such as asthma, bed wetting, colic, stomach ache, hyperactivity, ear infections, frequent flu or colds, and poor posture.

Gentle, safe chiropractic adjustments can help children find relief from these symptoms. It can also be used as a preventative care strategy so that children can avoid developing them. It plays a positive, effective role in a child’s overall wellness and good health.

 Three things we want you to know:

1. We are now open the 1st and 3rd Saturday from 10am-12pm.
2. We offer our cash savings plan for the family and for individuals. For one person, Buy 5 Get 1 FREE (250.00, that's 300.00 value) & for the family (350.00, that’s a 420.00 value) 
   Take advantage of this! You will not regret it!
3. Check out our new website, all of our information is on there! www.xeniachiropractic.com