Individuals involved in slip and fall accidents lead to around 9 million emergency room visits a year. Recovering from a severe injury suffered in a slip and fall accident requires extensive medical care and physical rehabilitation. Older adults are susceptible to slip and fall injuries. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injuries of older adults and are a common hazard in nursing homes, where between half of the residents fall each year. The most common injuries sustained include:
Cuts and Abrasions
Cuts and abrasions can be minor to severe. Leg and arm abrasions are the most common, followed by wounds to the head and hips. These injuries require superficial treatment and possibly stitches. However, if the impact of the fall is severe, cuts and abrasions can overlap more severe injuries like concussions and broken bones.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries often do not get noticed, so individuals don’t realize they have a mild tissue injury until days or weeks after the fall.Soft tissue injuries can range from minor ankle and/or wrist sprains to severe tears in tendons and ligaments.Left untreated, these injuries can lead to chronic pain conditions making the body more vulnerable to further injuries.Even when individuals feel fine after a slip and fall accident, they are recommended to seek medical care or consult an injury specialist as soft tissue injuries don’t often produce immediate symptoms.
Sprains and Strains
A slip and fall accidents often happen as a result of taking an uneven or awkward step. Individuals also often react with their hands in front to try to cushion the fall. Both the awkward step and pushing the hands out can cause the wrist or ankle to tear, causing a sprain or a strain. The ligaments do not circulate a lot of blood, meaning that healing and recovery can take a significant amount of time.
Broken Bones
A fall can result in stressful forces on the bones of the body. In slip and fall accidents, hip, wrist, and ankle fractures are the most common bones that get broken. The older an individual is, the more likely they will break a bone from a slip and fall accident.
Hip Fractures
More than 95% of broken hips are caused by falls, according to the CDC.Hip fractures often require surgery that can include implantation of an artificial hip and hospitalization for about a week, followed by extensive physical therapy and rehabilitation.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries can result from a slip and fall, especially if the knee gets rotated the wrong way or twisted. Knees are made up of bone and ligaments, meaning it could take a long to heal and recover. Dislocation of the patella is also a possibility that could require knee reconstruction.
Neck and Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder and neck injuries can be the result of landing on the shoulder or neck. They can also occur from overexertion when trying to right oneself during a fall. Neck injuries can range from:
Muscle sprains
Spinal injuries
Paralysis
Shoulder injuries can result in:
Shoulder dislocation
Torn nerves
Collarbone breaks
Even the most minor neck and shoulder injuries can require surgery and rehabilitation.
Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Severe impact on the body in a slip and fall accident can cause slipped or herniated discs and fractured vertebrae, causing significant pain and limiting mobility. An injury to the spinal cord can lead to temporary paralysis, permanent paralysis, neurologic and sensory impairments. According to the Mayo Clinic, falls cause more than a quarter of spinal cord injuries and the majority of spinal injuries among adults 65 and older.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries occur when an individual hits their head on a hard surface during a fall. Traumatic brain injuries can range from:
A chiropractor will review imaging scans, medical history, and current symptoms to determine the best form of treatment. Inflammation is common and is the body’s defense to protect the injured area by slowing down the blood flow in that area to allow the body’s internal defenses to repair the injury. Sometimes the body overreacts to the problem and produces far more inflammation than is needed. Depending on the severity of the injury, various massage, manipulation techniques, and tools will be utilized to help the body heal itself.
Body Composition
Recovery and Swelling
Recovery is an essential part of individuals involved in physical training programs and after injury. A significant sign that the body has undergone intense physical exertion and requires recovery is swelling. Swelling occurs for several reasons and is the body’s response to tiny, microscopic muscle tears that arise from intense use. It is possible to see this swelling in body composition results. Recovery is about giving the body a chance to:
Relax
Recuperate
Recover from the swelling to resume normal physical activities.
References
Courtney, T K et al. “Occupational slip, trip, and fall-related injuries–can the contribution of slipperiness be isolated?.” Ergonomics vol. 44,13 (2001): 1118-37. doi:10.1080/00140130110085538
Kannus, Pekka et al. “Prevention of falls and consequent injuries in elderly people.” Lancet (London, England) vol. 366,9500 (2005): 1885-93. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67604-0
Reuben, David B et al. “The Strategies to Reduce Injuries and Develop Confidence in Elders Intervention: Falls Risk Factor Assessment and Management, Patient Engagement, and Nurse Co-management.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society vol. 65,12 (2017): 2733-2739. doi:10.1111/jgs.15121
Rosen, Tony et al. “Slipping and tripping: fall injuries in adults associated with rugs and carpets.” Journal of injury & violence research vol. 5,1 (2013): 61-9. doi:10.5249/jivr.v5i1.177
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain throughout the whole body. It causes sleep problems, fatigue, and mental/emotional distress. It affects around four million adults in the United States. Individuals with Fibromyalgia tend to be more sensitive to pain. This is referred to as abnormal/altered pain perception processing. Research currently leans towards a hyperactive nervous system as one of the most plausible causes.
Symptoms and Related Conditions
Individuals with fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia syndrome/FMS may have:
Fatigue
Sleep issues
Headaches
Concentration, Memory issues, or Fibro Fog
Stiffness
Tender points
Pain
Numbness and tingling in hands, arms, legs, and feet
Central sensitization means that the central nervous system, made up of the brain and spinal cord, processes pain differently and more sensitively. For example, individuals with Fibromyalgia could interpret physiological stimuli, like heat, coldness, pressure, as pain sensations. Mechanisms that cause altered pain processing include:
Pain signal dysfunction
Modified opioid receptors
Substance P increase
Increased activity in the brain where pain signals are interpreted.
Pain Signal Dysfunction
When a painful stimulus is felt, the brain signals the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers that block the transmission of pain signals. Individuals with Fibromyalgia could have a pain-blocking system that is altered and/or not functioning correctly. There is also the inability to block repetitive stimuli. This means that the individual keeps feeling and experiencing the stimuli even as they try to block them out, suggesting a failure in the brain to filter out irrelevant sensory information.
Modified Opioid Receptors
Research has found that individuals with fibromyalgia have a reduced number of opioid receptors in the brain. Opioid receptors are where endorphins bind so the body can use them when necessary. With fewer available receptors, the brain is less sensitive to endorphins, as well as opioid pain medication like:
Hydrocodone
Acetaminophen
Oxycodone
Acetaminophen
Substance P Increase
Individuals with fibromyalgia have been found to have elevated levels of substance P in their cerebrospinal fluid. This chemical is released when a painful stimulus is detected by the nerve cells. Substance P is involved with the body’s pain threshold, or the point when a sensation turns into pain. High levels of substance P could explain why the pain threshold is low in individuals with fibromyalgia.
Increased Activity in the Brain
Brain imaging tests, like magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, have shown that fibromyalgia is associated with greater than regular activity in areas of the brain that interpret pain signals. This can suggest that pain signals are overwhelming those areas or that the pain signals are being processed dysfunctionally.
Triggers
Certain factors can trigger a flare-up. These include:
Diet
Hormones
Physical stress
Too much exercise
Not enough exercise
Psychological stress
Stressful events
Sleep Patterns changed
Treatment changes
Temperature changes
Weather changes
Surgery
Chiropractic
Chiropractic focuses on whole-body wellness. 90% of the central nervous system goes through the spinal cord. A misaligned vertebral bone can create interference and irritation on the nerves. Fibromyalgia is a condition related to the hyperactivity of the nerves; therefore, any vertebral subluxations will complicate and aggravate fibromyalgia symptoms. By realigning the misaligned vertebrae releases the stress off of the spinal cord and spinal nerve root. That is why individuals with fibromyalgia are recommended to add a chiropractor to their healthcare team.
Clauw, Daniel J et al. “The science of fibromyalgia.” Mayo Clinic proceedings vol. 86,9 (2011): 907-11. doi:10.4065/mcp.2011.0206
Cohen H. Controversies and challenges in fibromyalgia: a review and a proposal. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2017 May;9(5):115-27.
Garland, Eric L. “Pain processing in the human nervous system: a selective review of nociceptive and biobehavioral pathways.” Primary care vol. 39,3 (2012): 561-71. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2012.06.013
Goldenberg DL. (2017). Pathogenesis of fibromyalgia. Schur PH, (Ed). UpToDate. Waltham, MA: UpToDate Inc.
Kamping S, Bomba IC, Kanske P, Diesch E, Flor H. Deficient modulation of pain by a positive emotional context in fibromyalgia patients. Pain. 2013 Sep;154(9):1846-55.
Chocolate is comfort food. When stressed out, frustrated it makes you feel better, and when things are great, it can make them even better. However, there is a difference between the chocolate bar candies on the store shelves and healthy chocolate. Unhealthy chocolate is full of sugar and fat that can cause health problems like acne, obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Healthy dark chocolate can be eaten regularly in moderation to gain a variety of health benefits what to know as far as what type of chocolate should be eaten and how much.
Healthy Dark Chocolate
All the chocolate snacks, bars, minis, etc., contain added sugar, honey, and butter. These are not healthy for the body. Healthy dark chocolate contains at least 70% cocoa.
Dark Chocolate Nutrition
A 3.5 ounce – 100 grams dark chocolate bar contains:
11 grams of fiber
98% of recommended daily intake of manganese
89% of recommended daily intake of copper
67% of recommended daily intake of iron
58% of recommended daily intake of magnesium
Zinc
Selenium
Potassium
However, one bar contains 600 calories, which is why it needs to be consumed in moderation.
Cardiovascular System Benefits
Studies have shown that dark chocolate can restore elasticity and flexibility to the blood vessels and arteries. It was found to help prevent white blood cells from sticking to the blood vessel walls, a common cause of clogged arteries.
Lowers Cholesterol & Reduces Risk of Heart Disease
Dark chocolate has compounds that prevent the oxidation of LDL or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Less cholesterol means a lower risk of heart disease. Researchers found that dark chocolate reduced the risk of heart disease by 50% throughout a 15-year study.
Healthy for Expecting Mothers and Baby
Women that are pregnant and craving sweets can have dark chocolate. Eating dark chocolate can help improve blood flow to the arteries in the uterus. The improved blood flow helps the placenta develop and function normally, leading to a healthy pregnancy and delivery. It is recommended that pregnant women should only consume healthy dark chocolate during the first two trimesters and not in the third trimester. Speak to an obstetrician before making any diet changes.
Can Help Prevent Diabetes
When consumed in moderation, healthy dark chocolate can delay and even prevent the development of diabetes. This is achieved by improving insulin sensitivity. A study found that dark chocolate helped delay diabetes and also helped to lower blood pressure.
Beneficial for the Brain
Dark chocolate has been found to improve blood flow to the brain. This increases overall function. Subjects in a study found that after five days of consuming a small amount of dark chocolate daily, they had significantly increased the amount of blood in the brain. It was also found to help improve cognitive function in elder individuals. Another study found that 90 elderly patients had enhanced verbal skills and improved overall health.
Moderation Health
To be healthy, it needs to be consumed in moderation. This means about 1 ounce a day. A regular-sized healthy chocolate bar contains approximately 3.5 ounces. Therefore the bar should be split into thirds with one piece a day. Read the label carefully and ensure that that dark chocolate has a 70% or higher cocoa content. There can be several types of cocoa are on the label, including:
Cocoa nibs
Cocoa butter
Cocoa powder
All are perfectly healthy additions to a healthy dark chocolate bar.
It is recommended to avoid dark chocolate known as Dutched,or that has been processed with alkali. Treating dark chocolate with alkali reduces the bitter taste but also reduces the healthy antioxidants. Dark chocolate does have some sugar but is far less than the average milk chocolate bar. It is recommended to look for dark chocolate with sugar listed as the last or next to final ingredient on the list. Often the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sugar.
Body Composition
Overeating
ASAPscience simplified the science of hunger and cravings in the above two-minute video. It explains the body’s hunger-regulation system and the why of second helpings how the appetite works. Appetite is different from hunger. Hunger is the need to eat, while appetite is the desire to snack mindlessly even after a meal. Hunger and appetite are influenced by a network of pathways involving the neuroendocrine system. Appetite regulation, fullness/satisfaction, and energy balance include:
The gut – the largest endocrine organ in the body
Various hormones
The brain
High-calorie foods rich in fat and sugar are highly desirable to the body. This comes from the hunter-gatherer ancestors who sought these foods for survival because they were scarce or difficult to come by. The instinct for fatty and sugary foods is still active even though these foods are available all over. The continual intake of high-calorie fat and sugary foods overrides the body’s natural hunger regulation system, leading to chronic overeating. The more an individual eats foods with high levels of fat and sugar, the more likely the body gets addicted to them.
References
Buijsse, Brian et al. “Cocoa intake, blood pressure, and cardiovascular mortality: the Zutphen Elderly Study.” Archives of internal medicine vol. 166,4 (2006): 411-7. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.4.411
Desideri, Giovambattista, et al. “Benefits in cognitive function, blood pressure, and insulin resistance through cocoa flavanol consumption in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment: the Cocoa, Cognition, and Aging (CoCoA) study.” Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979) vol. 60,3 (2012): 794-801. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.112.193060
Francis, S T et al. “The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people.” Journal of cardiovascular pharmacology vol. 47 Suppl 2 (2006): S215-20. doi:10.1097/00005344-200606001-00018
Optimal nervous system health is the key to maximum body function and overall health. Individuals don’t really think about their nervous system until symptoms from injury, disease, or nerve problems present. The nervous system consists of billions of neurons that connect/network the brain with the rest of the body.
Nervous System Health
All of the body’s systems, organs, and tissues have nerves attached to them. The brain engages with this network to control and coordinate bodily functions. Functions include:
Heart
Lungs
Immune system
Digestive system
Reproductive system
Every function the body performs requires brain-body communication through the nervous system. The brain communicates with the nervous system to regulate the body to the environment it is in. For example:
If it’s hot, the body sweats.
If it’s cold, the body shivers.
If there is danger, the fight or flight response activates.
All are directed by the brain transmitting signals and messages through the nervous system.
Body Function
Optimal body function means that all bodily functions are normal, active, and healthy. Everything is working as it should. When the body functions at less than 100%, it can develop into more serious problems little by little. Like a vehicle that starts making a little sound that seems like nothing, then after a few days, weeks, months, it becomes a massive popping, grinding, starting, stopping, emergency, when vital information that regulates function gets lost in transmission from the brain to the body, health declines.
Flowing Spinal Highway
The vital information/communication between the brain and the body flow through the spinal column. The super information highway/spinal cord travels down the spinal column. Branching off the spinal cord are spinal nerve roots that go to every system, organ, and tissue in the body. The spinal bones are lined up like an electrical conduit channel for the spinal cord. The vertebrae should be lined up and move properly, allowing optimal blood and nerve circulation without any obstruction or interference.
When the spine shifts out of place, creating misalignment, moving properly becomes hindered, causing discomfort and pain, along with the vital communication needed to regulate maximum function not able to get through. This leads to malfunction within the body and decreases health and well-being. Spinal misalignment that interferes with nerve message transmission is called a vertebral subluxation.Chiropractic healthcare professionals are trained to detect and correct spinal subluxations. They realign the spine’s bones to restore nervous system health and internal communication for proper body function.
Body Composition
Prebiotics Can Help With
Inflammation
Inflammation is a normal function of the immune system; however, chronic inflammation can cause damage to the body. Chronic inflammation is associated with:
Obesity
Heart disease
Cancer
Other diseases and conditions.
Having a balance of healthy gut microbiota helps decrease chronic inflammation and the risk of disease.
Gastrointestinal Diseases and Conditions
Prebiotics also ferment in the colon producing short-chain fatty acids. These provide energy for the colon’s epithelial cells that line and protect the colon. Prebiotics increase the protection provided by the epithelial cells, reducing the risk for gastrointestinal conditions like:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome – IBS
Crohn’s disease
Cancer.
Prebiotics can also reduce symptoms of gastrointestinal conditions.
Neurological System
The central nervous system is also known as the brain and spinal cord. However, many do not know about the enteric nervous system, which includes the gastrointestinal tract. The link between the enteric and central nervous systems involves cognitive and emotional functions. Prebiotics increase and promote healthy gut microbiota to help manage:
Mood
Learning
Memory
Certain psychological disorders
References
Cerdó, Tomás et al. “Probiotic, Prebiotic, and Brain Development.” Nutrients vol. 9,11 1247. 14 Nov. 2017, doi:10.3390/nu9111247
Chu, Eric Chun Pu, and Michelle Ng. “Long-term relief from tension-type headache and major depression following chiropractic treatment.” Journal of family medicine and primary care vol. 7,3 (2018): 629-631. doi:10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_68_18
Kiani, Aysha Karim et al. “Neurobiological basis of chiropractic manipulative treatment of the spine in the care of major depression.” Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis vol. 91,13-S e2020006. 9 Nov. 2020, doi:10.23750/abm.v91i13-S.10536
Maltese, Paolo Enrico et al. “Molecular foundations of chiropractic therapy.” Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis vol. 90,10-S 93-102. 30 Sep. 2019, doi:10.23750/abm.v90i10-S.8768
Wirth, Brigitte et al. “Neurophysiological Effects of High Velocity and Low Amplitude Spinal Manipulation in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Humans: A Systematic Literature Review.” Spine vol. 44,15 (2019): E914-E926. doi:10.1097/BRS.0000000000003013
Getting dizzy can happen, usually after standing up too fast or staring at an optical illusion then looking away. The unsteadiness can be troubling but is minimal when compared to vertigo symptoms. Vertigo is a symptom rather than a condition that causes dizziness combined with a spinning sensation, even when an individual stands completely still. Vertigo can make everyday life a debilitating nightmare:
It causes individuals to feel nauseous.
It makes it difficult to walk.
It interrupts vision and hearing.
Vertigo symptoms usually begin with a communication issue with the inner ear and brain. This neurological connection involves the spinal cord, which chiropractic can treat and cure. A chiropractor will implement the necessary techniques to help alleviate vertigo symptoms.
Causes
The most common signs and symptoms are dizziness accompanied by a spinning sensation. Vertigo symptoms can also include:
Vertigo is a common symptom in individuals that have gone through trauma to the neck and/or head. A disturbance/interruption occurs in the nerve pathways in the spinal column. Disruption, injury, or damage to the vestibular system/inner ear also causes vertigo symptoms. Other causes include:
Ear infections
Pressure changes
Movement of particles within the inner ear
Chiropractic Treatment
Chiropractic treatment can cure vertigo symptoms through various exercises and spinal adjustments. When nerve signals don’t transmit correctly, it can cause a feeling of dizziness along with the other symptoms. Adjustments or manipulations help alleviate the symptoms by allowing nerve energy to circulate properly. Spinal adjustments realign the joints and vertebrae in the cervical spine. This opens the nerves pathways and allows for clear communication.
A common type of vertigo is known as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo or BPPV. This is the movement of particles around the inner ear. These particles come from otolith organs. The particles break loose and fall into other parts of the vestibular labyrinth. This alters the center of balance and can cause dizziness. A chiropractor may use the Epley maneuver, which maneuvers the head into different positions. A chiropractor will recommend specific exercises at home to benefit the vestibular system and its communication with the brain.
Body Composition
A Common Cold
The common cold, aka upper respiratory tract inflammation. It is the most common infectious respiratory disease. It is called this because of the effects on the nose and throat. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an adult will catch 2–3 colds a year. A cold-causing virus enters the respiratory tract directly when an individual inhales droplets or direct skin contact from an infected person. Cold symptoms include:
Runny nose
Stuffy nose
Sneezing
Coughing
Headaches
Body aches
The duration of a cold differs, but most individuals with a healthy immune system recover in 7–10 days. However, individuals with compromised immune systems, asthma, or COPD have an increased risk of developing serious illnesses like bronchitis or pneumonia. Quickly recovering from a cold requires boosting the immune system with proper rest, a nutritious diet, and drinking plenty of water.
References
Collins, Matthew E, and Tom M Misukanis. “Chiropractic management of a patient with post-traumatic vertigo of complex origin.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 4,1 (2005): 32-8. doi:10.1016/S0899-3467(07)60110-4
Dalby, B J. “Chiropractic diagnosis and treatment of closed head trauma.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 16,6 (1993): 392-400.
Sajko, Sandy S et al. “Chiropractic management of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo using the Epley maneuver: a case series.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 36,2 (2013): 119-26. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.12.011
Individuals that experience frequent headaches can have sensitive headache trigger points. Every case is different and requires a thorough examination before a proper and personalized chiropractic treatment plan can begin. Headaches can be brought on from a variety of causes. This could be:
Drug reactions
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)
Tightness in the neck muscles
Low blood sugar
High blood pressure
Stress
Fatigue
The majority of recurrent headaches fall into three types:
Tension headaches, also known as cervicogenic headaches
Tension headaches are the most common and affect around 77% of individuals experiencing chronic headaches. Most individuals describe a tension headache as a consistent dull ache on one side of the head and sometimes both sides. They are often described as having a tight band/belt around the head or behind the eyes. These headaches usually start slowly, gradually and can last for a few minutes or days. They tend to start in the middle of the day or before the end of the day.
These headaches can be the result of stress and/or poor posture. The most common cause is subluxations in the upper back and neck, usually combined with active headache trigger points. This stresses the spinal muscles in the upper back and neck. A tension headache or stress headache can last 30 minutes to a few days. Chronic tension headaches can last for months. The pain can be severe; however, these headaches are typically not associated with symptoms like throbbing, nausea, or vomiting.
If the top cervical vertebrae shift out of their position and lose their normal motion, a small muscle called the rectus capitis posterior minor/RCPM begins to spasm. This small muscle has a tendon that slips between the upper neck and the base of the skull. It attaches to a thin, sensitive tissue called the dura mater that covers the brain. The dura mater is very pain-sensitive. When the RCPM muscle goes into spasm, the tendon pulls the dura mater causing a headache. Individuals that work at a desk station for long hours tend to experience headaches from this cause. Another cause comes from referred pain caused by headache trigger points in the Sternocleidomastoid/SCM or levator muscle on the side of the neck. This cause tends to happen more to individuals that have suffered a whiplash injury with muscle damage in the neck region.
Migraine Headaches
Migraines are intense and throbbing headaches that are associated with nausea and sensitivity to light or noise. They can last for a few hours to a few days. Many experience visual symptoms known as an aura just before they come on. This is described as seeing flashing lights or when things take on a dream-like appearance. However, even in individuals that don’t experience the aura, most can tell that a migraine is getting ready to present. Individuals usually have their first attack before age 30. They tend to run in families supporting a genetic component. Some have attacks several times a month, while others can have less than one a year. Most individuals find that migraines happen less and become less severe as they get older.
These headaches are caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the brain. During the constriction period, there is a decrease in blood circulation. This is followed by dilation/enlargening of the blood vessels. This is what leads to the visual symptoms. Then the blood vessels dilate, generating a rapid increase in blood pressure inside the head. This increased pressure is what leads to a pounding headache. Every time the heart beats, it sends another shock wave through the carotid arteries in the neck into the brain. There are different theories as to why the blood vessels constrict, but they are still unknown. What is known is that several factors can trigger a migraine. This includes:
Lack of sleep
Stress
Flickering lights
Strong smells
Changing weather
Foods that are high in an amino acid known as tyramine
Cluster
Cluster headaches are very short excruciating headaches. They are usually felt on one side of the head behind the eyes. These headaches affect about 1 million individuals and are more common in men. This type of headache tends to happen at night. They are called cluster headaches because they tend to happen one to four times a day over several days. After one cluster is over, it could be months or even years before they present again. Like migraines, cluster headaches cause the dilation of the blood vessels in the brain, increasing the pressure.
Trigger Points
Headache trigger point therapy involves four muscles. These are the:
The Splenius muscles involve two individual muscles, the Splenius Capitis and the Splenius Cervicis. These muscles run along the upper back to the skull base or the upper cervical/neck vertebrae. Trigger points in the Splenius muscles are a common contributor to pain that travels through the head to the back of the eye and top of the head.
The Suboccipitals are a group of four small muscles that maintain proper movement and positioning between the first cervical vertebra and the skull base. Trigger points in these muscles can cause pain that feels like it’s happening inside the head, from the back to the eye and forehead. Individuals report that the whole side of the head hurts. This is a pain pattern similar to a migraine.
The Sternocleidomastoid muscle runs along the base of the skull, behind the ear, down the side of the neck. It attaches to the top of the sternum/breastbone. Although most are not aware of this muscle’s trigger points, the effects are evident. This includes:
Referred pain
Balance issues
Visual symptoms
Referred pain tends to be eye pain, headaches over the eye, and can even cause earaches. An unusual characteristic of SCM headache trigger points is that they can cause dizziness, nausea, and balance problems.
The trapezius muscle is the large, flat muscle in the upper and middle back. Pain can be felt in the temple and back of the head. A common trigger point is located at the top of the muscle. This particular point can activate secondary trigger pointsin the temple or jaw muscles, leading to jaw or tooth pain.
Headache Triggers
Stress can be a trigger.
Depression, anxiety, frustration, and even pleasant excitement can be associated with headache development.
A headache diary can help determine whether factors like food, weather, and/or mood correlate with headache patterns.
Repeated exposure to nitrite compounds can result in a dull headache accompanied by a flushed face. Nitrite dilates blood vessels and is found in products like heart medications, and is also used as a chemical to preserve meat. Processed meats containing sodium nitrite can contribute to headaches.
Foods prepared with monosodium glutamate or MSG can result in headaches. Soy sauce, meat tenderizers, and various packaged foods contain this chemical as a flavor enhancer.
Exposure to poisons, even household varieties like insecticides, carbon tetrachloride, and lead, can contribute.
Contact with lead batteries or lead-glazed pottery.
Foods that are high in the amino acid tyramine should be avoided. This could be ripened cheeses like cheddar, brie, chocolate, and pickled or fermented food.
Bio-Chiropractic
Chiropractic adjustments are highly effective for treating tension headaches, especially those that originate in the neck. Research has found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement and had fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief than taking common medications. There is a significant improvement by manipulating the upper two cervical vertebrae, combined with adjustments to the area between the cervical and thoracic spine.
Body Composition Testing
Vibration Exercise
Vibration exercise is believed to stimulate the muscle fibers without going to a gym or stressing the bones. One study broke up postmenopausal women into three groups: resistance training, vibration training combined with resistance training, or no exercise/training. Their body composition was measured before starting the study. After the study was completed, the findings included:
Both the resistance group and the resistance group with vibration training increased lean tissue mass.
The control group did not show an increase in lean tissue and, in fact, gained body fat.
The combination group, using vibration training with resistance training, showed a drop in body fat.
Another study placed male athletes in a training program that included vibration training. The first group had lower-limb strength training combined with vibration training, and the other had lower-limb strength training without vibration training. The researchers found that the athletes in the vibration training group improved leg extension strength by five percent. In addition, the vibration training groups balancing ability and vertical lift/jumping test improved as well.
References
Bryans, Roland et al. “Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 34,5 (2011): 274-89. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2011.04.008
Chaibi, Aleksander et al. “Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache: a single-blinded, placebo, randomized controlled trial.” BMC research notes vol. 10,1 310. 24 Jul. 2017, doi:10.1186/s13104-017-2651-4
Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with neck pain. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014; 37: 42-63.
Bryans R, Descarreaux M, Duranleau M, et al. Evidence-based guidelines for the chiropractic treatment of adults with headache. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2011; 34: 274-89.
Brain fog, memory problems, concentration, and the inability to form clear thoughts is an issue that many will face at some point. The progression of losing the ability to focus or think clearly can lead to decreased productivity with normal daily tasks, work, or taking care of a household. It can be a short-term issue experience caused by sleep deprivation or stress. However, if these issues are allowed to continue it can negatively change an individual’s quality of life.
Affected Productivity Factors
Causes that can lead to poor productivity include:
The underlying issue/s associated with brain function and the ability to focus are connected to the spine being out of alignment. Individuals often have poor spinal alignment without even realizing it is happening. It affects the body’s blood and nerve transmitting abilities to complete normal daily tasks. Chiropractic treatment is an expert-based approach that focuses on restoring spinal alignment to increase an individual’s health and brain function. Proper spinal alignment allows the nerves to relay messages clearly and optimally through the spinal cord to the brain. This allows for:
Clear thinking
Improved memory
Better decision making
Staying focused on tasks
Chiropractic Optimal Nerve Flow
When the central nervous system/brain/spinal cord is not transmitting properly it can lead to significant issues with concentration and productivity. When nerve energy and brain function is optimized productivity is improved. Research has shown that chiropractic can help:
Reduce the risk of disease
Prevent injuries
Prevent pain conditions
Improved quality of life
Chiropractic medicine can increase the ability to focus, optimize brain health, and more.
Body Composition
Tracing the sources of fatigue
There is a difference between being tired periodically from a long day and being tired daily. Being tired daily is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is a fatigue condition that has lasted longer than 6 months. It is typical to experience many of the symptoms of fatigue that disrupt the ability to achieve health goals like:
Weight loss
Muscle gain
Maintaining body weight
Symptoms include:
Constantly tired
Reduced appetite
Moodiness
Reaction time slows down
Memory Loss
Dizziness
The nature of hectic daily schedules can allow sources of fatigue to pile up. The objective is to find a balance between home, work, physical activity, diet, etc. Chiropractic medicine and health coaching can help develop an optimal plan to get healthy.
Disclaimer
The information herein is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional, licensed physician, and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified health care professional. Our information scope is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, sensitive health issues, functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from a wide array of disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the musculoskeletal system’s injuries or disorders. Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and support, directly or indirectly, our clinical scope of practice.* Our office has made a reasonable attempt to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request. We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900.
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, CCST, IFMCP, CIFM, CTG*
email: [email protected]
phone: 915-850-0900
Licensed in Texas & New Mexico
References
Craniocervical Junction Disorder. USC Spine Center Web site. http://spine.keckmedicine.org/treatments-services/craniocervical-junction-disorder/. Accessed August 25, 2017.
Anderson, Brian, and Adam Pitsinger. “Improvement in chronic muscle fasciculations with dietary change: a suspected case of gluten neuropathy.” Journal of chiropractic medicine vol. 13,3 (2014): 188-91. doi:10.1016/j.jcm.2014.01.002
Ross, Amanda J, et al. “What is brain fog? An evaluation of the symptom in postural tachycardia syndrome.” Clinical autonomic research: official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society vol. 23,6 (2013): 305-11. doi:10.1007/s10286-013-0212-z
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