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relief, migraineMigraines affect approximately 12% of Americans, which equates to about 38 million people. That’s a lot of people looking for fast ways to get relief. Unfortunately, there are not many options for migraine relief, and most only provide symptomatic care. In other words, rather than preventing migraines, they simply cover over the symptoms when one occurs.

Migraines—Relieving Overstimulated Nerves

One of the big theories about migraines is that people who suffer from them deal with overstimulated nerves, particularly in the neck, head, and face. As a result, a team or researchers developed a headband-like device that provides a mild electrical current to the trigeminal nerve. When applied during a migraine, the overstimulated nerves may relax, leading to some relief. In tests, this has helped some. However, it still doesn’t address the underlying problem that causes migraines. Once again, it just covers over the symptoms during an attack.

 

Natural Migraine Relief in McKinney, Texas

One factor that can affect the nerves of the neck, head, and face is a misalignment of the C1 and C2 vertebrae. Located at the base of the skull, these bones are in an area rich in nerves, soft tissue, and blood vessels. Thus, even a slight misalignment of these bones can cause conditions that may lead to migraines.

At Crowder Specific Chiropractic, we specialize in the care of these two vertebrae. Many patients have discovered that once proper alignment is achieved and maintained, migraines come to an end, or are at least greatly reduced in frequency and severity. Some get relief in as little as one or two adjustments.

If you suffer from migraines, we encourage you to have your upper cervical spine examined for misalignments. This could be your first step to finding migraine relief that actually keeps future migraines from occurring rather than just covering up symptoms as they occur.

References:

Migraine research Foundation. Migraine Fact Sheet. http://www.migraineresearchfoundation.org/fact-sheet.html (accessed 4 September 2015).

Russo A, Tessitore A, Conte F, Marcuccio L, Giordano A, Tedeschi G. Transcutaneous supraorbital neurostimulation in "de novo" patients with migraine without aura: the first Italian experience. J Headache Pain. 2015 Dec; 16:551.

Elster EL. Upper cervical chiropractic care for a patient with chronic migraine headaches with an appendix summarizing an additional 100 headache cases. J Vert Sublux Res 2003;AUG(3):1-10

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Coping with Chronic Migraines in McKinney, TXOne may wonder what constitutes chronic migraines. A person must:

It is understandable then that people suffering from chronic migraines miss out on a number of events in their life. Things such as school, work, and time spent with family and friends are all affected. Over 4 million people are diagnosed with chronic migraines, and most of these are women. This is a huge number of people that are unable to enjoy life on a daily basis as most others do. Is there anything that can help?

Recommendations from Medical Professionals for Migraines

Primary care doctors or neurologists will probably recommend that the person keeps a headache journal. It is important to record everything that happens before and during a migraine attack. This will help to develop a pattern that may reveal particular triggers that are causing headaches. Weather conditions, temperature, food and beverages consumed, and stress levels should all be noted.

Medication may also be suggested to help ease the pain of migraines. However, these often come with unwanted side effects and can lead to more headaches in the future if taken too frequently. Many wonder if there is a natural alternative for coping with migraine pain that really works.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic and Chronic Migraines

A link between a misalignment in the upper neck and migraine headaches has clearly been established. Therefore, addressing this problem and correcting it can be one way of alleviating headaches. The C1 and C2 vertebrae are responsible for protecting the brainstem and preserving communication to and from the brain and body. If a misalignment happens in either of these bones, the opposite is true. Communication, blow flow, and cerebrospinal fluid flow become irregular. This is the perfect environment for migraines to occur. Once the misalignment is corrected through gentle means, the body can begin to heal and function at its optimum once again. Often this is all that a person needs to combat migraine pain.


To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Neck Pain, Neck Ache, Headache, Headaches, Migraine, Migraines, Neck Injury, Neck Trauma, TMJ, Neck Alignment, text neck, texting Neck pain is such a common condition that you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't experienced it at some point.  Neck pain can arise for many reasons, but the one thing they all have in common is an increase in stress and strain on the spine.  

  1. Overuse of mobile technology – This is quickly becoming one of the biggest factors in neck pain.  Flexing the neck down to look at your phone or tablet for extended periods of time puts an abnormal strain on the structures of the neck.
  2. Repetitive motion injuries – Moving the neck repeatedly in the same way over and over can cause chronic pain.
  3. Stress – Coping with stress can cause the shoulders to tense and elevate, which can lead to neck tension and even headaches.
  4. Sleep position – People who sleep on their stomach are particularly vulnerable to developing neck pain since the head is rotated maximally to one side through the night.

Paying attention to these factors might help to prevent an episode of neck pain, but if your neck is already stiff and sore, then there may be other factors at play.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and chronic neck pain, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

Neck Pain Relief eBook

Correcting the Cause of Neck Pain

If adjusting your habits hasn't led to a complete resolution of your neck pain, then the odds are good that it caused a misalignment of the topmost vertebra in your neck.  That vertebra, your atlas (C1), is the most freely movable one of the entire spine and is responsible for carrying the weight of your head.  In addition, the atlas forms a protective ring around the brainstem, a crucial part of the body's nervous system that is responsible for regulating many of the body's life-sustaining functions.

At Crowder Specific Chiropractic, we don't just look to provide our patients with temporary neck pain relief.  Our goal is to find and correct atlas misalignments so that the entire neck can move and function the way it was designed to.  Modifying any bad habits along with addressing any spinal issues with upper cervical specific chiropractic care can lead to neck pain relief that is both natural and long lasting.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/neck-pain/basics/definition/con-20028772

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Migraine, Migraines, Headache, Headaches, Head Pain, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Relief, Headache Relief, Tension Headache, Tension Headaches, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Headaches ReliefIn the United States, approximately 18% of adult females and 6% of adult males are currently dealing with migraines. When you add in the children who suffer from migraines, it totals about 38 million people. Common migraine triggers include neck pain, weather conditions, strong smells, stress, and even certain foods and beverages.

While migraines are being researched heavily due to their prevalence, there is still little understood about this neurological condition. In the end, doctors often go back to the prescription pad to try and find solutions for patients who are in pain, missing work, and growing depressed over the debilitating condition.

This has led to the expansion of the market for headache medications. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are racing to produce products that cover over the symptoms better than previous drugs. The problem is that these new medications still only address the symptoms and not the underlying problem. There are also numerous side effects to these drugs.

For example, one company has chemically engineered a compound that has been abbreviated to CGRP. The idea behind this compound is that it can bond artificially with places that modulate pain in the body and control other headache factors. Unfortunately, the first version of the mediation failed its clinical trials because it resulted in liver toxicity, so the pharmaceutical company went back to the drawing board to find a safer version.

 

A Natural Way to Deal with Migraines

Many are looking for natural migraine solutions, and if you are included in that number, I want to encourage you to give upper cervical chiropractic care a try. The top bones of the spine, the C1 and C2, play a major role in the nervous and vascular systems of the body. They help to protect the brainstem and to facilitate blood flow to the brain. When these bones are misaligned, migraines are just one of the may possible outcomes.  

Case studies have revealed that headaches can be improved or even relieved in as little as one or two adjustments. Before trying another medication, why not see if upper cervical chiropractic can provide the help that you need in a natural way.

References:
Reeves A. New Migraine Drugs Could Ease Investors' Headaches. http://news.investors.com/technology/061115-756710-teva-amgen-lilly-alder-cgrp-antibodies-target-migraine.htm (accessed 12 June 2015).

Elster EL. Upper cervical chiropractic care for a patient with chronic migraine headaches with an appendix summarizing an additional 100 headache cases. J Vert Sublux Res 2003;AUG(3):1-10

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Neck Pain, Neck Ache, Headache, Headaches, Migraine, Migraines, Neck Injury, Neck Trauma, When a person is suffering from chronic neck pain, choosing the right sleep position is an important part of recovery. Even if one’s neck is properly aligned by an upper cervical chiropractic adjustment, relief from neck pain means holding that adjustment for as long as possible. The wrong sleep position may throw the adjustment off, especially during the first few days after an adjustment when muscles are healing. This article should help our patients to sleep better, and if you are not a patient yet, you’ll get a glimpse into how important neck alignment is.

The Right Way to Sleep to Avoid Neck Pain

Awakening to a stiff neck is a sure way to have people wondering if you got up “on the wrong side of the bed” as it were. No one wants to spend the day in pain, but we all need to sleep. Here are a few dos and don’ts.

Don’t Sleep on Your Stomach – Bas news stomach sleepers. This is the worst position for your neck. Think about it this way. How would you feel if you spent 8 hours looking over your shoulder during the day? That would be miserable on your neck. Sleeping on your stomach is like looking over your shoulder all night. You can’t expect to wake up feeling okay.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and chronic neck pain, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

Neck Pain Relief eBook
Do Sleep on Your Back – This is the best position for your neck. Whether you use a feather pillow, a cervical pillow, or a memory foam pillow, the key is to support your neck without elevating it too much. If you have your head propped too high, that would be the equivalent of looking down for 8 hours. Smartphone addicts can tell that does a number on your neck.

Do Sleep on Your Side – This position is good for your neck too. You just need a little extra neck support so your head isn’t slanted down toward the bed. Remember to keep a pillow between your knees so your lower back doesn’t get twisted.

Keep that Neck Aligned Right

If you do wake up with a stiff neck, your upper cervical spine may be out of alignment. Be sure to schedule an appointment as soon as possible to get checked so any subluxation can be corrected before it has time to cause further symptoms.  

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Migraine, Migraines, Headache, Headaches, Head Pain, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Relief, Headache Relief, Tension Headache, Tension Headaches, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Headaches ReliefMigraine pain is impossible to ignore.  A migraine episode is not just an average headache.  Most sufferers experience many other unpleasant symptoms, including nausea or vomiting and extreme sensitivity to sounds, smell, and light.

There are many conjectures floating around about the source of migraines, and many have been able to identify certain things that will likely trigger an episode.  Any type of head injury, including those sustained in a car accident, sporting injury, or even a slip on a sidewalk, can trigger a new condition or worsen an existing one.  Head injuries can also bring on other new symptoms along with migraines, such as dizziness, changes in memory, and sleep difficulties.

 

Addressing the Root Cause of Migraine

An often overlooked factor when head pain occur after an injury is that the spine may have been injured as well.  The uppermost vertebra in the spine is the most freely movable and can easily misalign with any type of head or neck injury.  When this happens, it can put abnormal stress and tension on the brainstem, which can affect blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow and nervous system function.  The inability of these functions to happen properly can lead to the development of head pain.

The goal of upper cervical chiropractic is to restore normal alignment to the atlas, the vertebra that sits just beneath the skull at the top of the neck.  By doing so, the body's normal ability to function is allowed to return and, given time to heal, head pain can be reduced or eliminated.  An added benefit is that since we are addressing your migraines at the root of their cause, the results we obtain aren't temporary. They're made to last.

References:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/neurologic-disorders/headache/migraine

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Migraine, Migraines, Headache, Headaches, Head Pain, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Relief, Headache Relief, Tension Headache, Tension Headaches, Migraine Headaches, Migraine Headaches ReliefMigraines seem to be more and more common in today’s hectic world. In fact, in the United States alone, 38 million people experience head pain including men, women, and children! This means that 12% of the population have migraines. This is more than those with diabetes and asthma together! Some common symptoms of migraine are:

Doctors are relieving migraines on a daily basis, yet little is understood about how and why they occur. They are often misdiagnosed. Some common triggers are:

Because so little is known about migraines, there are few things that help eliminate symptoms in all people. A new drug being researched is said to help prevent migraines. This is done by targeting the specific part of the body that is responsible for regulating blood vessels and sending pain signals to the brain. The way that this drug works is that it stops pain messages that are being carried to the brain. This may sound like great news for migraine sufferers. However, remember that any type of medication comes with unwanted side effects. Also, the underlying cause of head pain is not being addressed. This means that migraines will more-than-likely return.

 

Where to Find Natural Migraines Help

As an upper cervical chiropractor, I have seen much success in helping my migraine patients cope with their headaches. Research has revealed that changes in the function of the brainstem may be responsible for migraine headaches in some people. Therefore, I employ a technique that helps me to examine my patients for misalignments in the upper neck vertebrae.

If a misalignment has occurred in the C1 or C2 vertebra, this may be putting undue pressure on the brainstem, hindering it from sending proper signals to and from the brain and body. Once gentle adjustments are made, and the spine comes back into proper alignment, patients often report a decrease in symptoms and some have seen their migraines completely go away.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Whiplash, Neck Pain, Neck Ache, Back Pain, Back Ache, Headache, Headaches, Migraine, Migraines, accident, car accident, Neck Injury, Neck Trauma, Sports AccidentWhiplash is a very common injury that occurs in car accidents and other types of trauma. How can you know if you have experienced whiplash in an accident? Since the answer is not always neck pain, here are a few things to watch for.

Early Symptoms of Whiplash

Obviously, neck pain or soreness is the number one warning factor. If you have trouble moving your neck the morning after an accident, or even a few days later, whiplash is likely. Here are a few other symptoms that you may not associate with your neck.

In reality, all of these whiplash symptoms can be caused by the same problem, a misalignment of the upper cervical spine. When such a misalignment occurs, it can put pressure on the brainstem or even restrict the proper flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid to the brain.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and chronic neck pain, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

Neck Pain Relief eBook

Proper Whiplash Care Is Vital

The fact is that some of the symptoms noted above may not occur immediately following an accident. Years can pass before all of the effects of whiplash make themselves known. For this reason, it is important to seek an upper cervical examination any time the head or neck is injured.

At Crowder Specific Chiropractic, we can provide just such an examination. If a subluxation is revealed, gentle adjustments are used to coax the bones back into position (as opposed to the cracking or popping associated with general chiropractic).

If you have been injured in an accident, you don’t need to wait for days, weeks, or even years to pass before determining the full extent of the damage. Upper cervical chiropractic may help you to get on the road to recovery much sooner.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

sleep, migraineA staggering 1 billion people worldwide suffer from migraines, making it the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world.  If you’ve ever had a head pain, you’d know that it’s not just a really bad headache. A migraine episode comes with a host of other symptoms, including nausea or vomiting, dizziness, and extreme sensitivity to sound, light, and smell.  Poor sleep can also be associated with migraines that are both more frequent and more severe.  This can be due to several factors, including added stress, environmental changes, and various types of medications. Implementing these 5 tips might help you get a better (and much needed) night of sleep:

  1. Use your bed only for sleeping.  Avoid reading, eating, watching TV, or listening to music in bed.
  2. Use visualization and relaxation techniques to shorten the length of time it takes you to fall asleep.
  3. Schedule a consistent bedtime each night, even on your days off, that will allow for 8 hours of time in bed.
  4. Don’t take naps during the day – they can make sleeping at night more difficult.
  5. Have your last meal of the day at least 4 hours before bedtime, and limit fluids within 2 hours of bedtime.

 

Going Beyond Migraine Symptom Management

The chances are that if you’ve been dealing with head pain for any length of time, you have tried a multitude of treatment options.  Perhaps some of them have even provided a measure of temporary relief.  What we do here at Crowder Specific Chiropractic is help sufferers understand the root cause of their condition.  Upper cervical chiropractic is concerned with the uppermost vertebra in the neck, the atlas.  The atlas forms a protective ring around one of the most critical areas of our central nervous system, the brainstem.  If the atlas misaligns, even by a small amount, it can place abnormal stress, pressure, and strain on the tissues of the brainstem.  This can compromise the body’s ability to function normally, and can be the underlying cause of the symptoms.

Many patients find their way to our office in their search for natural care that doesn’t involve medications (and their side effects) and more invasive procedures.  Upper cervical chiropractic is gentle, safe, and effective at relieving the root cause of many people’s head pain.  Results with upper cervical care are often longer lasting since it goes beyond mere symptom management.

References:

https://migraineresearchfoundation.org/about-migraine/migraine-facts/
https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/living-with-migraines/life-with-headachemigraine/sleep-insomnia-and-migrainge/

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Neck Pain, Neck Ache, Headache, Headaches, Migraine, Migraines, Neck Injury, Neck Trauma, text neck, texting , SmokingWe blame cigarettes for just about every other health ailment, so why not neck pain? The fact is that researchers have recently studied this topic and revealed that the spine, especially the upper cervical spine, is adversely affected by a smoking habit. Here are the results of the study.

How Smoking Contributes to Neck Pain

182 patients were given CT scans to determine the degree of upper cervical degeneration. For the sake of the study, the discs between neck vertebrae were each given a score from 0 to 3 based on the amount of degeneration (0 being none and 3 being severe). That allowed researchers to score a person’s cervical neck on a scale of 0 to 15 in total. Considerations in the study included whether a person presently smoked, the amount smoked per day, and the number of years the smoking habit existed.

Individuals who were currently smokers scored one point higher in degeneration of the cervical spine on average. The length of time smoking didn’t seem to be a factor when age was also considered. This means that presently being a smoker has the most profound effect on the degeneration of a person’s neck. It provides smokers with one more good reason to quit.

To learn more about the connection between head and neck injuries and chronic neck pain, download our complimentary e-book by clicking the image below.

Neck Pain Relief eBook

What Can Cervical Degeneration Result In?

If the cervical spine is allowed to continue degenerating, the result can be spinal arthritis and chronic neck pain. Other potential outcomes from upper cervical problems include headaches, dizziness, and various other symptoms. Two things that you can do to improve upper cervical health are giving up the practice of smoking and seeing a chiropractor who specializes in this part of the neck.

Upper cervical chiropractors use a specific method to diagnose the position of a misalignment and correct it with minimal force. This results in a long-lasting correction that gives the body a chance to heal. You can’t get back the part of a disc that has been lost, but keeping the neck in proper alignment may slow the degeneration process and keep chronic pain at bay.

To schedule a complimentary consultation with Dr. Crowder, call our McKinney office at 972-449-5845. You can also click the button below.

If you are outside of the local area, you can find an Upper Cervical Doctor near you at www.uppercervicalawareness.com.

Crowder Specific Chiropractic

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