Headaches
Can you believe that over 2.2 million Canadians suffer from headaches and migraines EVERY SINGLE DAY!?!?!
When I ran these numbers, I had to check if my math was correct. Then I check it again… and again! I couldn’t believe it. How could so many people be needlessly suffering?
Then I sat back and thought about it, unfortunately, it became less surprising.
Of the countless people I get to help with headaches and migraines, I estimate that well over 50% of them didn’t even come see me for headaches!
They may have come to me for back pain, numbness and tingling, to help their child sleep better, for improved wellness… but not for their headaches. It wasn’t until a detailed history or thorough examination that their headaches were brought up.
When I ask why they didn’t mention this problem earlier, they essentially say something to the effect of; “umm, isn’t that normal?”
No… no… no it is not normal! While headaches may be extremely common they are NOT normal… they may be common, but, one more time for the people in the back…
HEADACHES ARE NOT NORMAL!
Here is what medical research and my own experience as a doctor has shown. Almost all headaches are caused or aggravated by problems in the neck.
Typically, what happens is a vertebrae in the neck becomes misaligned. This misalignment puts pressure and/or stress on the bones, joints, muscles, and nerves and the result is a headache. While there are exceptions, these problems can be improved… even corrected! This means that those suffering from headaches, are not doomed!
The problem is, most patients accept uncontrollable factors as the cause of their headaches. What do I mean by uncontrollable? Let me explain with what I would consider one of the most common headache justifications. The weather.
Many of my patients believe that the sole cause of their headaches is changes in the weather, specifically pressure changes. When a patient tells me this, they are probably right… mostly.
I fully believe that the weather is CONTRIBUTING to their headaches. Not CAUSING their headaches. Confused yet?
Once again, let me explain. Headaches usually have multiple causes. This means there is no one thing causing them. Weather, stress, misalignments, dehydration, tight muscles, poor posture, genetic factors, and more can contribute to the pounding in your head.
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ere for Dr. Chris’s number one headache releasing stretch
Think of it like this; you have a glass with a hole in the bottom of it. You have multiple sources dripping water in. Some you control. Some you don’t. As the water drips or pours in, it drains out the hole at the bottom.
So, what is my point? Think about the water dripping in as stressors that build up in your body. Think about the hole releasing or relieving these stressors. If the cup overflows… you get a headache. Got it?
You can’t control the weather tap. You can’t control the genetic tap. But you CAN control the misalignment tap!
And that misalignment tap is usually a waterfall! By being checked for misalignments and having them corrected, you not only shut off or slow down the tap, you open up the hole! Decreasing the incoming stress while helping the body release the stress that is coming in and building up! That means it helps you manage and deal with the other uncontrollable stresses! Amazing right?
This means, people don’t need to suffer! Is correcting misalignments, clinically known as a vertebral subluxation complex, going to rid everyone of every headache? Of course not. But in my office, patients who commit to correcting misalignments improve 75-100%! Could you imagine what that change would do for you or the people you care about?
So, what is next? Find out if you have misalignments contributing to your problem and correct them by seeing a corrective chiropractor immediately! You can use the contact form on this page to schedule an appointment in my office or for me to help you find a doctor near you!
There is simply no single action you can take that is more powerful than getting your spine checked.
Next, start identifying the controllable and uncontrollable stressors that cause your headaches. Learn how to manage or avoid the uncontrollable ones and start to correct or fix the controllable ones.
Be well and be awesome!
Dr. Christopher Small