Headache disorders affect about 40% of the world’s population, and females are 3 times more likely to have headaches compared to males. Approximately 5% of the US population experiences headaches more than twice a week. However, whenever someone experiences headaches, it is crucial that we identify the cause and not just mask the symptom with a pill.
Headaches can lead to decreased productivity at school or work, missed days at school or work, and a general decline in quality of life whenever they occur. While headaches are very disruptive and common, they are never normal.
There are three common causes of headaches. First is stress. With the pace of life nowadays, stress is at an all-time high. Stress stimulates our sympathetic nervous system, also known as the fight-or-flight response. This diverts blood flow and energy from our vital organs, sending it towards our extremities. This allows us to either flee from or fight the imminent threat that our brain is perceiving. When the blood flow to our brain is restricted, it can easily cause a headache.
Second is dehydration. A lack of water can cause the muscles and blood vessels in and around the head to constrict. This can easily trigger headaches. Also, our body is roughly 60% water. Water is vital to our survival. So, when we are dehydrated, this headache serves as a survival mechanism. Just like the Check Engine light in our car warns us that something is wrong, a headache when we are dehydrated is letting us know that something is wrong.
Third, and probably the most common of headaches, is poor posture. This can be the result of how we sit, how we sleep, look at our phones, or even work at our computers. All of these activities can cause us to have our head forward, and shoulders rounded forward, which puts a lot of stress on our head, neck and upper back.
This poor posture also affects the nerves coming from our neck. Those nerves go to the muscles of the neck, upper back, and arms. But most importantly, to the blood vessels of the head. And if those blood vessels are not receiving the proper nerve signals, they will constrict and reduce blood flow to the head. Often, this will feel like a radiating pain originating from the back of the neck, extending to the back of the head, and over the top to the front of the head.
$49 New Patient Special
First visit includes a consultation, case review, careful exam, X-rays (if necessary) and initial adjustment. Second visit includes a doctor’s report of findings, care plan recommendations, and treatment if you decide to move forward. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. Restrictions apply. Must mention this coupon at the time of scheduling.
How Our Care Protocol Works
First, we perform a thorough chiropractic exam and x-rays to determine exactly where the lack of proper movement is in your spine and which specific vertebrae need to be addressed.
Second, we restore proper motion to your spine and take stress off of the nerve by performing biomechanically and neurologically correct chiropractic adjustments.
Third, we teach you specific exercises to strengthen and stabilize your spine. These exercises are carefully designed to get you great results and NOT aggravate your condition.
Fourth, as clinically indicated, we perform non-surgical spinal decompression to take pressure off of the disc and off of the nerve giving you relief like you haven’t felt in years!
How We Treat Headaches In Centennial, CO
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Here at Lovett Family Chiropractic, we start with a thorough consultation, which allows us to get to know you and your headaches. It’s essentially a fact-finding mission. We find out how long they have been going on, what makes them better, what makes them worse, what you have tried that didn’t work, what they feel like, do they radiate up your neck, down your back, how often do you think about them…
And most importantly, what would change or be better if we could eliminate your headaches? This is very important because it puts into perspective how these headaches are affecting you. Most people can deal with or ignore a high amount of pain resulting from the headaches. They might even take pills to mask the pain. What they can’t deal with is how it affects their lifestyle. They want to be doing the things they enjoy with the people that they care about. They never want to feel limited, and we do everything that we can to help them live a life without limits.
Digital X-rays
Our next step is to take digital spinal X-rays. These are high-frequency X-rays that use very little radiation. We can analyze your X-rays during your initial visit to determine how the alignment of your spine is causing your symptoms. These X-rays also show us the condition of your spine. They show us how much decay and degeneration have taken place over your lifetime. This is helpful because it tells us how much damage you have in your spine and how long it will likely take to see improvements.
Next, we conduct a thorough examination of your orthopedic, neurologic, and spinal range of motion to assess the functioning of your brain and nervous system. We also palpate your spine to determine where your spine is subluxated. A subluxation means an area of your spine that is not moving as it should, and therefore, the nerve roots that come from that area of your spine are not working as they should.
The consultation, x-rays, and exam help us determine which vertebrae are the problem vertebrae and which ones need to be adjusted. As long as we determine the cause of your headaches, and it is within our area of specialty, we will accept you as a patient. If it is not within our area of specialty, we will refer you to the proper provider.
We commonly use digital spinal X-rays to identify the cause of your headaches. Under normal conditions, there’s a nice curve in the neck that looks like a C. That C-shaped curve helps alleviate everyday stress on the spine and allows the nerves to function correctly. When we have a proper curve, the larger, stronger paraspinal muscles of the lower neck do the bulk of the work. That’s what our body is designed to do, and that’s what we want.
But when the head goes forward, the nerves coming from the neck don’t work as they should and don’t send signals to the paraspinal muscles. Now, we all have a neurological pattern called the righting reflex. When we lose the proper curve in our neck, our brain won’t let us just look down at the ground. The righting reflex instructs our head and eyes to align with the horizon, allowing us to scan for opportunities and threats.
This causes a big problem and puts a lot of stress on the suboccipital muscles. Those are the muscles right at the base of the skull. Those muscles are really meant for fine-tuning, not doing the bulk of the work, like the paraspinal muscles.
When these suboccipital muscles are tight and overworked, they can cause significant pain at the base of the skull that radiates into the back of the head and eventually extends over the top of the head. Understanding the structure of the spine enables us to comprehend how it functions.
On digital X-rays of the neck, we may also notice decay and degeneration. That decay and degeneration don’t happen overnight. It has likely been going on for at least a few years, if not decades, which lets me know that we are working with a spine that has been damaged for quite some time.
Specific Chiropractic Care in Centennial, CO
If we determine that your headaches are being caused by poor posture or spinal subluxations, we will recommend specific chiropractic adjustments to correct these deficiencies. Chiropractic adjustments are the primary method for correcting subluxations.
Chiropractic adjustments correct subluxations by allowing the vertebrae to move more smoothly and the nerves to function more effectively. When the nerves function properly, the muscles, organs, glands, and other bodily systems will work more effectively. We complement the adjustments with strengthening exercises to retrain the brain and body, thereby achieving better spinal posture.
The adjustments are relatively gentle and may involve Dr. Lovett using his hands to make the adjustments or using an instrument called the Impulse. These adjustments help the spine move more easily, allowing your nervous system to function optimally.
The adjustments that we perform in our office are precise. Many other providers will do everything they can to get a “pop” out of your neck or back. That pop feels good because it releases endorphins. However, if it is not performed biomechanically and neurologically correctly, it can cause further damage to the spine.
Rather than causing damage to the discs by applying excessive force, which can be likened to ringing out a wet towel, our adjustments are precise and target the exact vertebra that is subluxated. This is more akin to folding a shirt with clean, precise fold lines.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Lastly, everyone’s care plan includes specific exercises to help strengthen and stabilize their spine. These are not the most challenging exercises in the world, but they are essential in helping to provide strength and stability to the spine. The exercises we give to our patients are designed not to aggravate their symptoms, but rather to strengthen and stabilize the spine in a way that allows it to handle future adverse stresses.
Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression
In certain situations, we recommend Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression (NSSD). NSSD is an excellent modality that can provide tremendous relief in a variety of conditions related to headaches, including bulging discs, herniated discs, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the arms, neuritis, neuropathy, radiculitis, radiculopathy, muscle spasms, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and other related conditions.
NSSD works by creating a negative pressure in the disc. I think of the NSSD like an accordion. When you pull an accordion apart, it creates a negative pressure, which causes air to flow into the accordion. We are doing the same thing, but instead of air, we are providing hydration and nutrition to flow into the disc, allowing it to heal.
Check Out Our Location Near You
12201 E Arapahoe Rd B10, Centennial, CO 80112
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a chiropractor in Centennial, CO, good for headaches?
Yes, absolutely. Headaches are one of the most common conditions that we see in our office. The vast majority of patients with headaches respond very well to chiropractic adjustments.
How soon should you see a chiropractor if you have headaches?
You should consult a chiropractor as quickly as possible if you are experiencing headaches. As mentioned above, headaches are never regular, and they should be addressed promptly.
Do medical doctors recommend chiropractors for headaches?
Medical Doctors commonly refer their headache patients to chiropractors because they recognize that many headache patients are under a lot of stress, and many have poor posture. These causes of headaches are not easily treated with pain pills, muscle relaxers, or needle injections, which can also have hazardous side effects.
Do chiropractors accept insurance for patients with headaches?
Yes, the vast majority of the time, insurance companies cover chiropractic care for patients with headaches. Insurance companies also recognize the value and safety of chiropractic care for patients with headaches.
Can getting your neck adjusted help with headaches?
Absolutely. Headaches are one of the most common conditions that we see in our office. We have tremendous success treating and caring for patients with headaches.
$49 New Patient Special
First visit includes a consultation, case review, careful exam, X-rays (if necessary) and initial adjustment. Second visit includes a doctor’s report of findings, care plan recommendations, and treatment if you decide to move forward. Not valid with any other offers or promotions. Restrictions apply. Must mention this coupon at the time of scheduling.