Headache

Musculoskeletal Abnormalities in Chronic Headache

By Frank M. Painter|January 15, 2014|Chiropractic Care, Forward Head Posture, Headache, Posture|

Musculoskeletal Abnormalities in Chronic Headache: A Controlled Comparison of Headache Diagnostic Groups

SOURCE: Headache. 1999 (Jan); 39 (1): 21–27

Marcus DA, Scharff L, Mercer S, Turk DC.

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh (Penn) School of Medicine, USA.

The presence of postural, myofascial, and mechanical abnormalities in patients with migraine, tension-type headache, or both headache diagnoses was compared to a headache-free control sample. Twenty-four control subjects were obtained from a convenience sampling and each was matched by age and sex to three patients with headache (one with migraine [with or without aura], one with tension-type headache, and one with diagnoses of both migraine and tension-type headache [combined diagnosis]) who had been previously assessed by a physical therapist at a headache clinic. Physical therapy assessment findings were compared among the four groups.

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Headache and Chiropractic Page

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Manual Treatment For Cervicogenic Headache And Active Trigger Point In The Sternocleidomastoid Muscle: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

By Frank M. Painter|August 30, 2013|Cervicogenic, Headache, Myofascial Trigger Points|

Manual Treatment For Cervicogenic Headache And Active Trigger Point In The Sternocleidomastoid Muscle: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial

The Chiro.Org Blog

J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2013 (Sep); 36 (7): 403—411

Gema Bodes-Pardo, PT, MSc, Daniel Pecos-Martín, PT, PhD, Tomás Gallego-Izquierdo, PT, PhD, Jaime Salom-Moreno, PT, MSc, César Fernández-de-las-Peñas, PT, PhD, Ricardo Ortega-Santiago, PT, PhD

Clínica Fisioterapia Santiago Vila,
San Fernando de Henares, Spain.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this preliminary study was to determine feasibility of a clinical trial to measure the effects of manual therapy on sternocleidomastoid active trigger points (TrPs) in patients with cervicogenic headache (CeH).

METHODS: Twenty patients, 7 males and 13 females (mean ± SD age, 39 ± 13 years), with a clinical diagnosis of CeH and active TrPs in the sternocleidomastoid muscle were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received TrP therapy (manual pressure applied to taut bands and passive stretching), and the other group received simulated TrP therapy (after TrP localization no additional pressure was added, and inclusion of longitudinal stroking but no additional stretching). The primary outcome was headache intensity (numeric pain scale) based on the headaches experienced in the preceding week. Secondary outcomes included neck pain intensity, cervical range of motion (CROM), pressure pain thresholds (PPT) over the upper cervical spine joints and deep cervical flexors motor performance. Outcomes were captured at baseline and 1 week after the treatment.

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Combination of Acupuncture and Spinal Manipulative Therapy: Management of a 32-year-old Patient With Chronic Tension-type Headache and Migraine

By Frank M. Painter|March 6, 2013|Chiropractic Care, Headache, Migraine, Spinal Manipulation|

Combination of Acupuncture and Spinal Manipulative Therapy: Management of a 32-year-old Patient With Chronic Tension-type Headache and Migraine

The Chiro.Org Blog

J Chiropr Med. 2012 (Sep); 11 (3): 192–201

Bahia A. Ohlsen

Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Yoga Center,
Buffalo Grove, IL.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case study is to describe the treatment using acupuncture and spinal manipulation for a patient with a chronic tension-type headache and episodic migraines.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 32-year-old woman presented with headaches of 5 months’ duration. She had a history of episodic migraine that began in her teens and had been controlled with medication. She had stopped taking the prescription medications because of gastrointestinal symptoms. A neurologist diagnosed her with mixed headaches, some migrainous and some tension type. Her headaches were chronic, were daily, and fit the International Classification of Headache Disorders criteria of a chronic tension-type headache superimposed with migraine.

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Too Sweet to Be Good? The Potential Health Hazards of Artificial Sweeteners

By Frank M. Painter|December 27, 2012|Artificial Sweeteners, Attention Deficit, Chemical Sensitivity, Environmental Sensitivity, Food Sensitivity, Headache, Obesity, Pediatrics|

Too Sweet to Be Good? The Potential Health Hazards of Artificial Sweeteners

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Dynamic Chiropractic

By Claudia Anrig, DC

With worldwide obesity rates doubling in the past three decades, is it any surprise that artificial sweeteners have been gaining popularity? Beginning with the creation of saccharin, “sugar substitutes” have become the supposed answer to a dieter’s prayer – and part of the daily diet of many of our children.

Let’s review the various sugar substitutes on the market today to appreciate what they are and why they may not be the best option in terms of your patients’ – and your – health.

Aspartame: NutraSweet or Equal

This sugar substitute was discovered in 1965 by accident while chemist James Schlatter was testing an anti-ulcer drug. [1] Aspartame gained FDA approval in 1981 and was approved in 1983 for use in carbonated beverages, where it is most commonly found now as the primary sweetener for most diet sodas. [2]

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA and has been linked to serious medical reactions. [3, 4] Researchers and physicians studying these reactions have concluded that the following chronic illnesses can worsen when ingesting aspartame: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes. [4] (more…)

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Plastic Surgery For Headaches???

By Frank M. Painter|June 20, 2011|Editorial, Headache|

Plastic Surgery For Headaches???

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 2011 (Feb); 127 (2): 603-8

A Chiro.Org Editorial

Now I’ve heard everything (well. . . maybe). A recent full text article in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery [1] fully describes how plastic surgeons attempt to mimic the common outcome of chiropractic upper cervical adjusting by:

removal of a small segment of the semispinalis capitis muscle and shielding of the nerve with a subcutaneous flap to fully decompress the greater occipital nerve.
(from Page 604) [2]

No mention is made in their celebratory article about the massive expense of this procedure, or the success of chiropractic care (or “spinal manipulation”) for headaches, but then again, these are surgeons, forging ahead, looking for an approach they can call their own. Good for them.

However, Chiropractors developed a non-surgical and cost-effective way to decompress the greater occipital nerve many decades ago, by adjusting the occiput, and by using NIMMO technique to naturally eliminate trigger points of the suboccipital muscles (the myofascial component).

Travell’s 1983 landmark magnum opus on trigger points titled: “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The Trigger Point Manual” clearly identifies the various suboccipital muscles as being primary triggers for several varieties of headache. This Blog, and our Headache and Chiropractic Page have published regularly on the success of chiropractic care for headaches of all sorts. [2-7] (more…)

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Migraines Appear To Be On The Rise

By Frank M. Painter|June 13, 2011|Headache|

Migraines Appear To Be On The Rise

The Chiro.Org Blog

SOURCE: NHI OnDemand

Migraine may be classified as migraine without aura, formerly called common migraine, or migraine with aura, formerly known as classic migraine. The differences are based upon the presence or absence of neurologic symptoms prior to the onset of headache. The aura may consist of flashing lights, or zigzag lines, or may manifest as blind spots in the vision.

Some people even experience speech difficulty, tingling in the face or hands, confusion, or weakness of an arm or leg. The majority of people suffering from classic migraine have an aura that develops 10-30 minutes prior to development of the actual headache. According to recent studies, the aura is believed to be the response to a trigger that creates a neuronal depression. This may result in as much as a 25-35 percent reduction in cerebral blood flow, and is certainly enough to cause the symptoms associated with the aura.

A recently published study [1] revealed that the prevalence of migraine headaches has increased over the past ten years among adults. The study took place over an eleven year interval and found that at the start of the study 12.1 percent of the group met the criteria for having migraine headaches. After 11 years, 13.2 percent of the participants met the medical criteria for having migraine headaches. (more…)

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