August 2010 Health Newsletter

What is a tension headache?

A condition involving pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck, usually associated with muscle tightness in these areas.  Tension headaches are one of the most common forms of headache.  They can occur at any age, but are most common in adults and adolescents.  If a headache occurs two or more times weekly for several months or longer, the condition is considered chronic.  Tension headaches result from the contraction of neck and scalp muscles.  One cause of this muscle contraction is a response to stress, depression or anxiety.  Any activity that causes the head to be held in one position for a long time without moving can cause a headache.  Such activities include typing or use of computers, fine work with the hands, and use of a microscope.  Sleeping in a cold room or sleeping with the neck in an abnormal position can also trigger this type of headache.  Other causes include spinal misalignment, eye strain, fatigue, alcohol use, excessive smoking, excessive caffeine use, sinus infection, nasal congestion, overexertion, colds, and influenza.  Tension headaches are not associated with structural lesions in the brain.

Symptoms:

Dull, pressure-like pain; generalized pain, worse in the scalp, temples or back of the neck; not one-sided; feels like a tight band or vise on the head; occurs as an isolated incident or occurs constantly or daily; worsened or triggered by stress, fatigue, noise, glare, etc.; sleep disturbances.

What can we do to help? 

Chiropractic care works on correcting misalignments that cause headaches and relieving symptoms associated with tension headaches. To see if chiropractic may be able to help you call (615) (373-5995) today for a complimentary consultation.

Light therapy has become popular as a drug-free alternative to reduce pain and speed healing. Chiropractors have recently started using light therapy because it appears that light, in certain wavelengths, will reduce pain and speed tissue healing. The application of light is thought to initiate a series of enzymatic reactions that stimulate the natural healing process at the cellular level by converting the light into ATP. Light, a source of energy used by cells, is absorbed to power the metabolic processes, synthesize RNA/DNA, proteins, enzymes, and other biological materials needed to repair the cell and surrounding tissue.  Research has shown that light therapy improves inflammatory conditions such as tendonitis. The light helps control the inflammed area as well as the associated pain by increasing circulation. Light therapy also has positive results with arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, TMJ, carpal tunnel, neck/shoulder/back pain, foot pain, and joint pain of the knees and elbows. How do you know if light therapy is right for you? If you have any chronic pain or reoccuring injury, then you are a candidate. To learn more, visit our website at www.brentwoodchiropractictn.com or call the clinic @ 373-5995 to set up your first treatment.

The NEW Treatment for Low Back Pain… Spinal Decompression

In the past, a patient suffering from disc problems usually was given pain medications, instructed to refrain from physical activities, referred for physical therapy, and when they weren’t progressing they were sent for spinal surgery. Conservative chiropractic care proved very helpful in many cases, yet there have been some cases when surgery seemed to be the only other option… until now.

Today, you don’t have to live with that pain anymore. Thanks to the concerted efforts of a team of top physicians and medical engineers, Spinal Decompression was developed to effectively treat lower back pain and sciatica resulting from herniated or deteriorated discs. Spinal Decompression not only significantly reduces back pain in many patients, but also enables the majority of patients to return to more active lifestyles.

Does Spinal Decompression really work?

Spinal Decompression has been proven effective in relieving the pain associated with bulging and herniated discs, degenerative disc disease, sciatica, and even relapse or failed back surgery. Since its release, clinical studies have revealed an amazing success rate in treating lumbar disc related problems with Spinal Decompression.

How does it work?

Spinal Decompression uses state of the art technology to apply a distraction force to relieve nerve compression often associated with low back pain and sciatica.

Japanese researchers have found home-based exercises to be more effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain than prescribed NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). While NSAIDs can reduce inflammation and pain, they are a form of passive care that fails to address functionality issues such as limited motion, muscular weakness and muscular imbalances, not to mention the many negative side effects associated with NSAID use. Home-based exercises are not only natural and far safer, they specifically address functional issues and deficiencies in a proactive manner. And thus, it goes to reason that both men and women (mean age of approx. 42 years) who participated in the home-based exercises versus the NSAIDs during the 12-month study experienced more significant improvements in both reported low back pain and overall disability.

New research indicates vitamin D may be effective at reducing infections and colds. In this new study, researchers found that a group of young military men who supplemented with 400 IU’s (international units) daily for 6 months versus those who supplemented with a placebo experienced a significantly higher likelihood of having no days missed from work due to a respiratory illness. Moreover, of those taking the vitamin D supplement half remained healthy during the 6-month study as compared with approximately just one third of those taking the placebo. While more studies are needed, this new research does appear to indicate some benefits of vitamin D in reducing sickness or at least, the severity of sickness. It should be noted that vitamin D when taken in higher dosages is toxic and negative side effects can and do occur beyond 2,000 IU’s per day.

Antidepressants are commonly prescribed to those suffering from autism. However, past research hasn’t been able to provide evidence that antidepressants are actually useful for those diagnosed with autism. A recent U.S. government funded study reported that antidepressants, more specifically Celexa, was no better than a placebo for improving repetitive behaviors in children with autism. Researchers have now completed a new review of this study along with six other related studies present in the medical literature. Their findings – there was no evidence that antidepressants were any better than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors or any other symptoms in children suffering from autism. According to the researchers who conducted this recent scientific review of medical literature, there is no basis for recommending the routine use of antidepressants in the treatment of austism.