Back & Neck Pain, Headaches & Migraines

Chiropractic care can prove to be very beneficial for pain in the neck, back, and low back. In addition to this, many patients who suffer from headaches and migraines show great results in the reduction of their symptoms with chiropractic care.

Chiropractors are neuromusculoskeletal specialists, meaning they are doctors who work with the nerves, muscles, and joints of the body. Symptoms that arise from pain in your back and neck (including any headaches and migraines) are all areas that a chiropractic professional is well equipped and educated to address.

Neck and Shoulder Pain

Your neck, also known as your cervical spine, begins at the base of your skull and makes up seven vertebrae. Your cervical spine supports all the weight of your head. What is remarkable about the cervical spine is that although it can hold a considerable amount of weight for long periods, it also has a great range of motion, allowing you to move your head in nearly every direction. However, this flexibility makes the neck very susceptible to pain and injury.

Activities that increase the incidence of injury to your neck and shoulder include:

• Extended sitting
• Repetitive motions and movements.
• Accidents (falls, car accidents, etc.)
• Degeneration from aging and everyday wear and tear
• Poor posture

A chiropractor can diagnose the cause of your neck and shoulder pain and provide the appropriate treatment that is specific to you. Chiropractors are conservative care practitioners and their scope of practice does not use drugs or surgery. If your diagnosis proves to be outside a chiropractor’s scope, they will refer you accordingly.

Low Back Pain

Chiropractors are well versed in how to help you with your low back pain and though they treat more than low back complaints, this is the #1 reason patients seek a chiropractor. The back is made up of bones, joints, discs, muscles, ligaments, and nerves. Many injuries can occur in the back including (but not limited to) sprained ligaments, strained muscles, ruptured disks, and irritated joints. Back pain can be a result of traumatic pain like a sports injury or car accident, but it could also be from long-standing injuries like arthritis and poor posture.

Chiropractic care is a safe and effective way to treat back pain. It helps to reduce pain, decrease the use and need for medication, advances the ability to return to physical activity, and creates a balanced healthy lifestyle.

A FEW INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BACK PAIN:

• According to theGlobal Burden of Disease 2010, low back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
• Back pain is one of the most common reasons why individuals miss work.
• Back pain is the second most common reason why individuals visit their medical doctor.
• Most back pain comes from long-term injury and presents itself as chronic pain.
• Experts estimate approximately 80% of the population will have back pain at some point in their life.

SOME ADVICE TO PREVENT BACK PAIN:

• Maintain a healthy weight – Eat clean
• Remain physically active – Avoid prolonged inactivity – Stretch regularly
• Wear comfortable, supportive footwear
• When lifting objects off the floor, bend from your knees, keep the object close to your body and
  do not twist when lifting the object.
• Keep good posture
• Refrain from smoking as it causes reduced blood flow. This results in less oxygen to your
  tissues.
• Get educated about proper work ergonomics and ensure your workstation is set to the correct
  height and level.

Headaches & Migraines:

Headaches are a growing epidemic in our society today. Often, patients that suffer from headaches and migraines take painkillers like aspirin, Tylenol, and sometimes even stronger medications that only mask their symptoms and give temporary relief from their pain. Research has shown that chiropractic care is very effective for tension headaches and headaches that originate from the neck. In addition to this, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches. In this study, the participants who stopped chiropractic treatment after four weeks still experienced sustained therapeutic benefit from the chiropractic care. The participants in the study who only received painkillers still had ongoing headaches.

A chiropractic doctor can help with headaches by addressing the joints in the neck that may be out of alignment. This is done through gentle adjustments or mobilizations. In addition to this, the chiropractor can provide nutritional and supplemental advice to help balance what may be “off” and potentially causing the individual’s headaches. Finally, chiropractors can offer sound advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), and exercises to strengthen the muscles to help avoid recurring headaches.

Dr. Harmony Mir is well educated and experienced in treating neck and back pain as well as headaches and migraines. She addresses the muscles with techniques like Myofascial Release Technique and in some cases Graston Technique. Along with the attention to the muscles, Dr. Mir also spends time releasing the restrictions in the joints through various different techniques to alleviate the stress on the nervous system. Nutritional and exercise advice is a big component to achieving total health and wellness, and Dr. Harmony Mir loves to help educate her patients on how they can heal themselves.

Back & Neck Pain, Headaches & Migraines Chiropractor Kelowna BC