Recent health-related news examined the idea that the medical community does not currently offer migraine headache sufferers the attention and care they deserve. Critics believe that migraine care receives little attention because the disease simply defeats the current medical community. The complex cause of migraine headaches evades medical research. Treatments tend to involve pain relief rather than healing an underlying cause. Chiropractic care offers a proven approach that produces a more beneficial long-term outcome than medical care.

How common are migraines?

Migraines comprise the third most prevalent illness in the world, affecting 12% of the US population. Nearly 40 million Americans and a billion people worldwide suffer from migraines. Those numbers equate to one in every seven people living with regular migraines. Migraines also rank as the second most-debilitating disease on the planet after back pain. More than 20% of chronic migraine sufferers classify as disabled and the likelihood of becoming disabled increases as more associated conditions grow.

Migraines most commonly occur between the ages of 18-44 years and affect men, women, and children. Only 6% of men experience migraines compared to 18% percent of women, amounting to about 28 million women in the United States. Approximately 10% of children suffer from migraines.

What are the symptoms of a migraine?

A migraine classifies as recurrent, throbbing headaches which include moderate to severe pain that can last up to three days. Migraine sufferers also report symptoms that include photophobia (light sensitivity), phonophobia (anxiety disorder/fear of loud sounds), and nausea.  Most migraine sufferers experience the condition as a chronic disease that significantly decreases their quality of life. Migraines date back for thousands of years. Historical treatments over centuries include wrapping the patient’s head with ground-up earthworms to bloodletting. Contemporary treatment usually involves the consumption of powerful and dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. Overuse of medication represents the most common reason episodic migraines turn chronic.

Can chiropractic help?

Research published in 2015 focused on a superior solution. Spinal adjustments provided better long-term health compared to the use of migraine medications. The medical community tends to quickly prescribe the latest drugs to migraine sufferers without researching and exploring recently published findings that detail other safer and more effective solutions. The 2015 research showed that patients who received upper cervical manual care reduced their drug consumption by 80%, days of migraines per month by 97%, and pain and functional disability associated with migraines by 100%.

Migraine headache sufferers experience some of the worst pain imaginable. The pain and agony experienced by migraine sufferers extend far beyond a mild stress headache. Migraines literally shut a person to the point where numbing consciousness with harsh pharmaceuticals seems the only escape. Some of the most potent drugs on the market advertise themselves as solutions to migraine headaches. A solution seems to imply healing, but no healing comes from taking pills. Chiropractors offer a different approach focused on addressing underlying causes and the link between the spine and central nervous system function. Migraine sufferers deserve to understand and experience a healing solution focused on a future free from pain and suffering. The benefits start with Chiropractic.

The post Research Reveals that Adjustments Minimize Migraine Pain first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

From an anatomy and physiology standpoint, when you breathe, your body takes in the air that passes through the nose, the windpipe and the bronchi.  It is then filtered, purified, cleansed, warmed and humidified before it enters your lungs.  That’s a lot of steps!!  All of this happens under the watchful guidance of the nervous system.  However, in those who suffer from asthma, the small tubes in the lungs (called bronchioles) become inflamed and irritated.  This irritation causes them to contract and even spasm which produces thick mucus that can plug up the breathing passages.  If you have seen someone suffering from an attack, you see them literally gasp for air and these attacks can last for minutes, hours and the condition can persist for a lifetime.

Allergies, stress, pollen, pollution and other air-born particles can bring on life-threatening attacks.  Children (and adults) are condemned to a life of bronchodilators, drugs and cortisone- all of which have nasty side effects.  Some have suggested that asthma is a reaction to a lack of water and it is recommended that those who suffer increase their consumption of clean, pure water.  Other researchers have theorized that an increase in asthma diagnosis can be attributed to our ever-increasing vaccination program.  Those who state this say that the vaccination alters the normal immune response and makes a child’s immune system overreact to the particles in the air.

What can chiropractic do for asthma attacks?

Chiropractors have been helping children with asthma for many years.  We understand that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism.  As long as our nervous system is allowed to function with no signal interference, the body should function normally (free from asthma).

Often, however, some of the vertebrae in the spine become subluxated (shift out of place) and that has a direct effect on the function of the nervous system which controls and coordinates every function of the body.  By correcting and stabilizing these subluxated vertebrae and thereby eliminating the interference to the nervous system, the individual is able to resume a higher level of function and often resolve the condition without the continued use of drugs or other interventions.

There are also some natural supplements that may help with asthma:

1. Vitamin B-complex plus Vitamin C stimulates the immune system and reduces the effects of stress on the body.

2. Quercetin and bromelain act together as an immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory.

3. Vitamin A aids in tissue repair.

4. Lobelia is helpful during an active attack.  It is an expectorant and relaxes the muscle walls of the bronchial tree.

5. Coenzyme Q10 helps to counteract the release of histamine.

6. Magnesium and calcium tend to cause some dilation of the muscle walls in the bronchi.

The bottom line is this… You were designed to be healthy.  In every case, asthma is abnormal and a result of dysfunction in the body.  As chiropractors, our sole purpose is to correct the dysfunction in the body thereby allowing the body to return to the function it was created to have.  Healing comes from above-down and inside-out.  External therapies often do nothing more than lessen the symptoms but never address the cause of the condition.  If you know someone who suffers from asthma, I challenge you to have this conversation with them.  We are grateful for the referrals and often have tremendous success with these cases.  To schedule a visit, it’s as simple as calling Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic at 918-940-4630.  Dr. Ring will sit down with you and discuss your options for treatment.  Thank you in advance for letting us serve you.

The post What can chiropractic do for asthma attacks? first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

I am frequently asked by patients whether I think chiropractic or massage would be the best choice for them.  The answer is usually a combination.

Your muscles attach to your bones and whether or not they are tight and contracted is controlled by nerves.  If bones don’t move, the muscles will have no reason to lengthen.  Considering that, when faced with the question “should I do chiropractic or massage” the answer would clearly be to have a chiropractic adjustment.  If you are under regular chiropractic care and your vertebrae are moving as they should, massage will be a great addition.

How do you know if your bones are moving properly?  Is the motion in your neck restricted when you look at the ceiling?  Can you comfortably sit up with good posture at your desk or do you feel yourself falling forward as the day goes on?  When you try to look at your blind spot while driving, do you have to rely on your mirrors because your neck is too stiff?  When you turn your neck do your shoulders turn with it?  When moving your shoulder blades back and down, can you do it comfortably or are your shoulders typically lifted up next to your ears?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, your problem is stemming from an issue with your skeleton and chiropractic would be the best choice for you.

Sometimes back or neck pain is more often related to nerves.  Do you ever have tingling in your fingertips or feet?  Do you have referred pain down an arm or leg?  Do you worry when you bend over if your back will give out or you won’t be able to stand up?  Are your fingers or toes numb?  All of these things point toward an issue with your nerves and your problem needs chiropractic attention.

Massage is a wonderful thing.  It stimulates healing, blood flow, just the simple act of someone touching you is relaxing.  Is it a cure for back problems?  I don’t think so.  Typically the reason your muscles are too contracted is much deeper and more complex than a simple muscle issue.  It often relates to poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle where you are spending too much time in a seated position during the day and then not getting enough exercise when you are done with work.

When faced with the choice of chiropractic or massage, try chiropractic first to get your spine moving better on a more consistent basis and then supplement that work with a massage.  They both work very well together.  On top of both of these, make sure you are following a regular exercise and activity program.  As always, we are just a phone call away.  To set up a visit with Dr. Travis Ring of Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic, simply call 918-940-4630 or visit our website at www.easternoklahomachiropractic.com.  Thank you in advance for the opportunity to be your chiropractor.

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