Headaches

Chiropractic

Should I visit a chiropractor?

Posted on 02.7.20 |

Do you suffer from back or neck pain? Do frequent headaches interfere with your life?

If so, you may wonder what the best treatment option is.

Did you know your local chiropractor offers effective treatment solutions that are noninvasive and drug-free? That could be why approximately 22 million Americans visit a chiropractor each year. With those visits, 35 percent, or around 7.7 million, seek care for relief from back pain caused by sports injuries, accidents, and muscle sprains and strains.

If you are in the Roanoke, TX area, Dr. Cody Doyle offers safe, effective treatment options for your pain. With over two decades of experience, he has successfully brought relief to thousands of suffering patients.

But Dr. Doyle goes above and beyond chiropractic care. He also offers acupuncture and myofascial release therapy, as well as other alternative therapies, such as nutrition counseling, ultrasound therapy, muscle stimulation, and education regarding home exercise.

And he treats a lot more than just neck and back pain. Keep reading to learn the surprising conditions chiropractic care can help.

What is a chiropractor?

A chiropractor is someone licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic, with the initials DC after their name. When you see these initials, you know your provider has received extensive training in disorders of bones, joints, muscles, and ligaments.

Training and education to be a chiropractor include a four-year undergraduate degree (usually a “pre-med” type of degree) and four years of chiropractic school (approximately 4,200 instructional hours). In addition, they have taken and passed a National Board Exam.

A chiropractic program typically looks something like this:

First year: Courses in biochemistry, spinal anatomy, general anatomy, and chiropractic principles.
Second year: Courses in pathology, imaging interpretation, clinical orthopedics, chiropractic procedures, and research methods.
Third year: Courses in integrated chiropractic, dermatology, pediatrics, practice management, clinical internships, and ethics and jurisprudence.
Fourth year: Clinical internship, when the student completes rotations in a clinic or hospital and studies chiropractic care under a licensed chiropractor.

In addition, many chiropractors, such as Dr. Doyle, spend a tremendous amount of time learning about various other specialties, such as sports medicine, nutrition, rehabilitation, and acupuncture.

What is chiropractic care

The main treatments chiropractors perform involve hands-on spinal and joint manipulations to achieve proper alignment of the spine and the body’s musculoskeletal structure. When joints are out of proper alignment, it can cause pain in the neck, back, head, hands, arms, feet, and legs.

Proper alignment allows the body to heal itself naturally without drugs or invasive treatments, such as surgery.

These manipulations restore joint mobility caused by tissue injury from trauma, such as a car accident or fall, and repetitive stress, such as from performing the same stressful movements over and over.

What conditions can a chiropractor treat?

Typically, patients go to a chiropractor for pain relief from injury to joints, muscles, and connective tissue, such as ligaments, cartilage, and tendons. While some patients receive chiropractic care as an adjunct to other treatments, many patients find relief from their pain with chiropractic care alone.

Chiropractic care can relieve pain that is acute, chronic, or from repetitive stress in the back, neck, head, and upper and lower extremities.

Examples of chronic pain include diagnoses like arthritis, fibromyalgia, or degenerative disc disease.

Acute pain can be caused by things like moving heavy furniture, a fall or car accident, or being tackled too hard. Acute pain typically does not last longer than six weeks.

Repetitive stress can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff (shoulder) pain, and plantar fasciitis (foot pain).

However, many patients also seek chiropractic care for issues not involving pain.

Some surprising conditions chiropractors treat successfully include:

Migraine and tension headaches
Seasonal allergies
Neuropathies
Weight loss
Stress and anxiety
Gastrointestinal issues
Insomnia
Pregnancy-related pains
Preparation for labor and delivery to reduce the pain of childbirth
Infertility
Weak immune system

You may wonder how a chiropractor can help with these conditions. The fact is, nerve impulses travel between your entire body and your brain through the spine, which is the root of your nervous system. When your spine is out of alignment, it puts the body under tremendous stress and can cause a multitude of problems.

Many illnesses and issues are worsened or caused by this stress, with activates the “fight or flight” reaction in the body. This increases your heart rate and blood pressure and redirects your blood away from your digestive system, organs, and extremities.

Over time, this wreaks havoc on your body and increases your risk of diabetes, muscle tissue damage, infertility, slowed healing, and damage to your immune system.

When put back into proper alignment, your body can process and manage stress in a much healthier way, allowing your body to heal itself.

Also, spinal adjustments improve blood circulation and reduce spinal nerve irritation. This helps your brain to turn off the fight or flight response, which also assists the body in healing.

In addition, Dr. Doyle can recommend helpful vitamins and supplements, teach you home exercises and relaxation techniques, and help you improve your posture.

What does chiropractic care involve?

At the first visit, Dr. Doyle will perform a comprehensive examination, which includes any necessary x-rays and gathering information about your medical history, current medications, and lifestyle factors. Next, he will discuss your symptoms, concerns, goals, and desires, and answer any questions you have. Once he has an accurate diagnosis, he will work with you to come up with a treatment plan.

The goal of chiropractic care includes restoring the function of joints, muscles, and connective tissue to align your spine and musculoskeletal system. This will also improve your range of motion, which helps prevent additional injuries.

Chiropractic treatment involves manual adjustments, where Dr. Doyle will manipulate your joints into proper alignment using sudden but controlled force. While some patients fear the adjustments will cause pain, you do not need to worry. Occasionally there is a very quick moment of “pain,” as if you were pinched, but it abates instantly. Then, what you will notice is the relief of pain as the adjustment reduces the irritation of your muscles, joints, and nerves.

At the beginning of your chiropractic treatment, you are in an “urgent care” phase, and more frequent visits may be needed. This is important because the benefits of chiropractic care have a cumulative effect, and repeat treatments are needed to train the body, just like repeat exercise is needed for strength training.

After a few weeks, however, most patients can move to the rehabilitation phase, which requires less frequent visits. Once your pain is well controlled, you go into maintenance. At this point, treatment is pretty much “as needed.”

Are you ready to see how good a chiropractor can help you feel?

If you are in the Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, or Southlake area, call (817) 767-5430 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Doyle. He would love to help you get on the road to health and wellbeing.

Could your headaches be coming from your neck?

Posted on 01.31.20 |

Do you suffer from frequent headaches? Are you confused by the different opinions about whether or not your headaches are coming from your neck?

It seems that most medical practitioners fall into one of two camps when discussing the role of the cervical spine (neck) in chronic head pain.

Those who believe the neck is always the primary culprit in chronic head pain.
Those who think the neck plays little to no role in a patient’s headache symptoms.

My name is Dr. Cody Doyle, and I can tell you, every day, at least one patient presents to my office complaining of recurrent headaches. And then, they ask the most common yet complicated question I get asked in my chiropractic practice.

“Could my neck be causing my headaches, and if so, what treatments are effective?”

As an evidence-based chiropractor with over twenty-three years of successfully treating patients with headache symptoms and an insatiable desire to learn everything I can to help my patients best, I believe I have the right answer.

My answer?

Maybe.

The “Gray Area” of Whether Your Headaches Are Coming From Your Neck

The conflicting opinions of medical practitioners can lead to a large degree of confusion and irritation for patients who experience frequent headaches.

One provider tells them their neck plays a significant role in their symptoms while another is seemingly dismissive of the role the neck plays in the generation of headache symptoms. Add to this confusion the well-meaning advice and anecdotal stories relayed by close friends and family members. The result of all this conflicting information is enough to send patients into a spiral of frustration, causing a headache on the spot.

That’s the last thing headache sufferers need.

If you experience frequent headaches, you don’t need confusion and frustration. You need answers. Because the truth is, some headaches come from the neck, and some do not.

What is important to know when determining if your headaches are coming from your neck?

As already stated, I am an evidence-based chiropractor.

What do I mean by an Evidenced-Based Chiropractor?

According to Wikipedia:

“An evidence-based practice (EBP) is any practice that relies on scientific evidence for guidance and decision-making.”

So, as an evidence-based practitioner treating headaches, I am primarily concerned with what research (evidence) says about the cervical spine and its role in driving the pain associated with headaches.

Of course, I also pay attention and listen to my patients when it comes to what treatments work for them. Science offers evidence and information, but I understand that what really matters is resolving your symptoms. Therefore, I will continually evaluate your unique progress and suggest changes in your treatment plan if your symptoms are not resolving.

But before we get to a treatment plan, I will perform a thorough examination, including medical history, current medications, x-rays, and physical exam.

During the physical exam, I utilize several techniques to help determine if your neck (cervical spine) is contributing to your head pain. For instance, I will put you through some maneuvers that attempt to reproduce your headache.

If we can determine that certain movements of your neck or palpation of specific structures in your neck reproduce your pain, it helps me understand the mechanism that could be involved in some or all of your head pain.

After a thorough history and physical examination, we should be able to have a pretty good idea of what role, if any, your neck plays in your head pain.

Your Headache Type Helps Determine if the Neck Is Involved

Before we begin a discussion about the neck and its role in headache symptoms, it will be helpful to discuss the types of headaches.

The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition contains descriptions of many classifications and subclassifications of headache and head pain. However, for this discussion, we will focus only on two general categories of headache:

Primary headache
Secondary headache

According to the IHS Classification, a primary headache is a condition by itself. In other words, the headache does not occur as a result of some other external sources, such as medications, dehydration, or neck dysfunction. Examples include migraines, cluster headaches, and tension-type headaches.

A secondary headache is head pain that occurs as a result of another disorder that is known to cause a headache. Examples include head pain caused by bacterial meningitis, medication overuse, dehydration, or neck dysfunction.

A headache arising from dysfunction or abnormality in your neck would be a secondary headache.

It is also helpful to understand that some patients may have a primary type of headache (i.e., tension-type headache) that is exacerbated (or made worse) by dysfunction in the neck.

The real questions to ask are:

What does the research (evidence) say about neck dysfunction that causes a headache?
How will we know if you, indeed, have head pain related to the neck?

The second question can have layers. For instance, if you have primary headaches, do you have a neck issue that exacerbates it? If you experience secondary headaches, are they related to the neck or something else?

How often do headaches come from the neck?

If your head pain is related to dysfunction or misalignment of the cervical spine (neck), you have what is called cervicogenic headaches.

When you consider all the types of head pain, cervicogenic headaches are relatively rare.

In fact, an article in the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy¹ reports a prevalence rate of approximately 2.5 percent in the general population.

However, it is also important to note that the prevalence of cervicogenic headache climbs to as high as 53 percent in patients who have suffered an injury to their cervical spine².

What treatments are available if my neck is contributing to my head pain?

As an evidence-based chiropractor, I am primarily concerned with what the research says concerning effective treatment and the frequency of that treatment. Based on this research and your unique symptoms and physical examination, I will work with you to formulate a treatment plan that works best for you.

When it comes to effective treatment, Dunning, et al³ performed a study on a group of patients suffering from cervicogenic headaches. They compared the effects of either combined cervical and thoracic manipulation (chiropractic care) or mobilization and exercise (physical therapy). They found:

“The results of the current study demonstrated that patients with cervicogenic headache who received cervical and thoracic manipulation experienced significantly greater reductions in headache intensity, disability, headache frequency, headache duration, and medication intake as compared to the group that received mobilization and exercise; furthermore, the effects were maintained at three months follow-up.”

To summarize, the above study found that patients treated with spinal manipulation (chiropractic care) did significantly better than those who received only physical therapy and exercise.

The study goes on to discuss the proposed mechanism for superior results achieved through chiropractic manipulation versus physical therapy. If you are interested, you can search the article referenced below and read further.

How many treatments will I need if my headaches are coming from my neck?

Determining the number of visits a patient may need is always challenging. Again, we look at what the evidence shows regarding the dosage of spinal manipulation in conditions such as this.

Haas and colleagues looked at the question of appropriate dosage for treating cervicogenic headache. They published their findings in The Spine Journal⁴. In this impressive study, they randomized participants to four different dose levels of chiropractic manipulation: 0, 6, 12, or 18 sessions. They treated each patient three times per week for six weeks, and for those receiving less than 18 sessions of spinal manipulation therapy (SMT), a focused, light-massage was performed as a control for the sessions when manipulation was not assigned.

The authors found:

“There was a linear dose-response relationship between SMT visits and days with cervicogenic headache (CGH) that was durable to 52 weeks after the start of care. For the highest and most effective dose of 18 SMT visits, CGH days were reduced by about half, and about three more days per month than for the light-massage control.”

To summarize, the patients given 12 and 18 spinal manipulation treatments experienced the most improvement. Their improvement lasted 52 weeks (one year) after the start of care.

There are many variables among patients to consider. The degree of degeneration present in the neck, limitations in range of motion, soft tissue abnormalities, etc.. However, most patients respond favorably and achieve lasting pain relief with somewhere between 12 and 18 chiropractic visits.

Do you suffer from headaches and wonder if your neck plays a role?

If you have frequent headaches, your neck could be involved. Especially if you have experienced an injury to your cervical spine. And studies prove chiropractic spinal manipulations can offer you the relief you desire.

Is it time for you to find relief?

Do you have any questions? Would you like to find out if your neck may be causing your headaches? Call (817) 767-5430 today. One of our friendly team members would love to answer your questions and schedule a consultation.

References

Racicki, S., Gerwin, S., DiClaudio, S., Reinmann, S., & Donaldson, M. (2013). Conservative physical therapy management for the treatment of cervicogenic headache: a systematic review.Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 21(2), 113–124. doi:10.1179/2042618612Y.0000000025
Bogduk, N., & Govind, J. (2009). Cervicogenic headache: an assessment of the evidence on clinical diagnosis, invasive tests, and treatment. Lancet neurology, 8(10), 959–968. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(09)70209-1

3.Dunning, J. R., Butts, R., Mourad, F., Young, I., Fernández-de-las-Peñas, C., Hagins, M., et al. (2016). Upper cervical and upper thoracic manipulation versus mobilization and exercise in patients with cervicogenic headache: a multi-center randomized clinical trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 17, 64. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-016-0912-3

Haas, M., Bronfort, G., Evans, R., Schulz, C., Vavrek, D., Takaki, L., et al. (2018). Dose-response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for care of cervicogenic headache: a dual-center randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal, 18(10), 1741–1754. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.spinee.2018.02.019

What can a chiropractor do for headaches?

Posted on 01.7.20 |

Do you suffer from frequent headaches?

While headaches are a common complaint, there are many different types. They can also be complex to diagnose.

Fortunately, Dr. Cody Doyle has over two decades of successfully treating patients with headaches. Thanks to his insatiable curiosity and intense love of research, he has discovered treatment protocols that work, no matter what type you have.

In this article, we will discuss the common causes of headaches, different types of headaches, and treatment options to help rid you of your pain.

What causes headaches?

While there are several types of headaches, the causes can be quite varied. Fortunately, very few headaches indicate a serious illness.

Often, problems with or overactivity of pain-sensitive structures can cause them. Usually, the many structures surrounding your neck and skull, such as muscles, nerves, and joints, play a role.

Some patients have triggers that bring them on.

Common triggers include:

Certain foods, such as chocolate and processed meat
Alcohol, especially red wine
Poor posture
Excessive stress or tension
Sinus infection or allergies
Lack of sleep
Missed meals
Menstruation or hormones

In addition, pain in the head can be referred pain. For instance, a cervicogenic headache is actually referred pain from soft tissues or bony structures of the neck. This can include muscles, nerves, or cervical spine joints.

In fact, spinal misalignment in the neck and even the upper back is very often the cause. Spinal adjustments can offer effective help.

How can a chiropractor help?

While something serious is rarely the cause of headaches, you should seek evaluation if you experience them frequently.

Dr. Doyle will perform a thorough examination, including medical history and x-rays. If there is anything to suggest something that requires immediate attention, he will let you know. If he has any concerns, he will refer you for additional testing.

During the examination, Dr. Doyle will discuss your symptoms with you and work to figure out where the pain is coming from.

After examination, Dr. Doyle will answer any questions and discuss your treatment options. Together, you will create an individualized treatment plan that is best for your unique needs, symptoms, and desires.

What type of headaches do you suffer from?

Patients use the term headache to describe any type of pain experienced in the head. However, there are several different types, and they can range in severity and frequency. Understanding which type of headache you suffer from is helpful.

Tension Headache

Usually the least severe, a tension headache is the most common type. Often it is a pain that is “just there,” nagging at you, but you can still perform daily activities. Mostly dull in nature, tension headaches can reside on one or both sides of the head.

Improving your posture, getting your rest, eating well, managing stress, and regular spinal adjustments should take care of your nagging pain.

Sinus Headache

Allergies and infection in the sinus cavities can cause pressure to build behind your cheeks, nose, forehead, and throughout your face. If you experience congestion, a runny nose, facial swelling, or increased pain when you lean forward, you likely have a sinus headache.

Dr. Doyle offers his patients excellent relief from sinus headaches with acupuncture. This alternative treatment effectively reduces pressure and inflammation.

Cluster Headache

If you experience short bursts of pain on one side of the head, you may be having cluster headaches. These bursts of pain are often followed by nasal congestion and watery eyes. The pain can be as severe as a migraine, but they are not as debilitating since they are short in duration.

While the cause of cluster headaches is unknown, Dr. Doyle has brought relief to many patients suffering from them through routine acupuncture and spinal manipulations.

Migraine Headache

Migraines can be very debilitating and interfere with your quality of life and daily activities. The pain is intense and can be on one or both sides of the head. Typically described as throbbing, it can last from several hours to days. Migraines typically come with the added symptoms of sensitivity to sound and light and nausea and vomiting.

Some patients with migraines also experience what is known as an aura. Often, this includes flashes of light that occur in the peripheral vision before the migraine begins.

Since many patients suffer from migraines due to triggers, you will want to keep notes about lifestyle habits and diet. Avoidance of any potential triggers is highly advisable.

In addition, Dr. Doyle can help prevent future migraines with routine acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments.

Isn’t it time to get rid of your headaches?

Don’t let headaches get in the way of your life.

If you are ready to be in control and enjoy life to its fullest, contact Dr. Doyle today at (817) 767-5430 to schedule your initial consultation.

Dr. Doyle sees patients in the Grapevine, Southlake, Roanoke, Trophy Club, Keller, and North Fort Worth areas.