It would be a rare chiropractor who hasn’t witnessed an apparent correlation between chiropractic care and improvements in the frequency or severity of headaches and migraines. It may happen in one patient or several, but is there a connection, and if so what are the mechanisms behind it? While it is true that headaches and migraines can have a myriad of triggers and causes, it is also apparent from a range of recent case reports that chiropractic may have something to offer. (This article reproduced from an article by Claire McIvor:
https://spinalresearch.com.au/headaches-migraines-a%e2%80%8bnd-chiropractic-what-the-new-research-says/ )

In the past year, the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research have carried four separate case reports involving improvements in headaches following chiropractic care. The first featured a 59-year old male presenting with headaches, neck pain and rheumatoid arthritis. The case appeared in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research and hypothesized, “the upper cervical subluxation may be a contributing factor to rheumatoid arthritis-related pain [1].” While the case-report focused more attention on the rheumatoid arthritis (and the course of care lasted 12 sessions over 10.5 weeks), it is interesting to note that headaches and neck pain resolved after the first adjustment and the patient discontinued medication.

The second case report, authored by chiropractors Laura Stone and Joel Alcantara and appearing in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, looked at a fascinating and somewhat complex case. The patient was an 11-year old male with autism. He presented for care with headaches that were affecting sleep and school attendance. He also had ADHD and obsessive-compulsive disorder. His case was indeed a complex one, but among the vast improvements noted was a marked improvement in his headaches.

Again, care was focused on the reduction of vertebral subluxations, several of which were noted in the case report (referenced below [2]). With this case, the chiropractor utilized Gonstead and Thompson Techniques.

A third case report involved a 13-year old who had been in a motor vehicle collision and had developed chronic neck pain along with headaches and dizziness following the accident. The case report presented with a number of interesting factors: the first being the fact that he had a significant cervical kyphosis and that resolution of the headaches occurred in tandem with a return to lordosis. The second interesting factor was a gradual return of symptoms in the year following the patient’s discontinuation of care. He was cared for using Chiropractic Biophysics.

It certainly prompts the question: what happens when we allow these familiar subluxation patterns to return unencumbered for a significant length of time?

These three case reports, all of which featured literature reviews and clinical details well worth perusal, featured male patients and different chiropractic techniques. The final case report was a female patient who, at age 23, had a 10-year history of headaches and migraines. Her current management plan was medication-based and reported as “essentially ineffective.” She was cared for using Diversified, Grostic and Thompson Techniques as well as upper cervical technique only on a number of visits. Of specific note to the headaches (as opposed to her other complaint of low back pain), the authors stated:

“For a month thereafter, the patient remained completely migraine-free after only being adjusted upper cervically on two separate visits. Her cervicalgia and low back pain continued to steadily improve as well. She was only experiencing slight headaches intermittently throughout the week that were rated as 3/10 on the VAS. After 10 weeks of continued care like previously mentioned, the patient reported that all her presenting complaints of chronic migraines, neck pain, and low back pain had completely resolved. The patient had a quarterly check-up visit with her neurologist who had prescribed her medication for her migraines. After a discussion with her neurologist about how upper cervical chiropractic care had resolved her migraine episodes, the neurologist agreed she could discontinue the prescription medication regime. The patient has not required the use of pharmacological intervention for migraines since then.“

Once again, her care was directed at reducing vertebral subluxations and featured a variety of techniques.

All of these are case reports and literature reviews and thus we can’t generalize findings. All of them follow headaches with different etiologies. But all of them indicate a significant improvement in headaches within a short amount of time under chiropractic care. They are not the first, nor will they be the last. But the thing that makes them refreshing is that they are focused on subluxation-based care. The reduction in headache symptoms simply follows closely on those heels.

The Neck  – Headache Link

While it is perhaps entirely unsurprising, it is nonetheless noteworthy that a number of basic science research studies have linked neck pain to headaches. As chiropractic has a proven record with neck pain, and many chiropractic patients present with such complaints, it is an easy in-road to conversations about the effects of vertebral subluxation on health more broadly.

In 2017, JMPT published an article looking at the effects of upper cervical translatoric mobilization on cervical range of motion and headache symptoms. It was a randomized controlled trial involving 82 volunteers with cervicogenic headaches. The study looked specifically at pressure pain thresholds from C2-C3, suboccipital muscles, and trapezius muscles. The study found that “upper cervical translatoric spinal mobilization intervention increased upper, and exhibited a tendency to improve general, cervical range of motion and induce immediate headache relief in subjects with CEH [cervicogenic headaches.]

The trapezius muscle correlation may not be an isolated concept either, with a 2018 study indicating “a strong association between trapezius muscle tenderness and the level of intensity and the number of days with a headache among female office workers [6].” While the study was a basic science article that did not comment on vertebral subluxations, the issues of neck pain, associated muscle pain and even the effect of office ergonomics or stressors on posture, neck pain, and subluxation could be more common than we think.

After all, we have a veritable epidemic of people looking down at smartphones, laptops and handheld devices which may induce forward head posture and place huge amounts of undue stress on the cervical spine [7]. This is to say nothing of the postural ramifications of sedentary lifestyles if forward head posture and cervical hyperkyphosis is seen.

It seems the headache-neck pain connection is an easy one to argue, especially when there are cervicogenic connections. Headaches with such origins have long been a concern for post-whiplash patients, neck pain patients or even certain types of athletes [8]. 

The term “cervicogenic headache” is relatively new though, with diagnostic criteria including unilateral pain “starting from one side of the posterior head and neck, migrating to the front and sometimes associated with ipsilateral arm discomfort.”  It may also be aggravated by “certain neck positions.”

It has been suggested that cervicogenic headaches are a“final common pathway for pain generating disorders of the neck. Bogduk has proposed that the pathophysiology of CGH [cervicogenic headache] results from a convergence of sensory input from the upper cervical spine into the trigeminal spinal nucleus, including input from: Upper cervical facets, Upper cervical muscles, C2-3 intervertebral disc, Vertebral and internal carotid arteries, Dura mater of the upper spinal cord, [and] Posterior cranial fossa [8].”

We are growing in our understanding of the implications of neck pain far beyond simple discomfort. While the links to cerebellar processing and mental response times are making themselves increasingly clear in the world of chiropractic research (read more here), basic science seems to be indicating that when there is neck pain, headaches may be lurking somewhere close.

So what’s the take-away for chiropractors? When it comes to headaches and migraines, the best thing we can do is what we are known for: removing subluxations, enabling the body to achieve optimal neurological function and letting the body do the rest. Yes, we need more research. That is always a given. But as the bank of case reports and basic science articles mount up, linking either subluxations or neck dysfunction, the road forward seems pretty clear.

REFERENCES:

1. Slagel J (2019), “Resolution of Headaches and Neck Pain in a 59-Year-Old Male with Rheumatoid Arthritis Undergoing Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care,” Journal Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, March 14, 2019, pp. 19-27, https://www.vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2019/03/13/resolution-of-headaches-neck-pain-in-a-59-year-old-male-with-rheumatoid-arthritis-undergoing-upper-cervical-chiropractic-care-a-case-report/
2. Stone L, Alcantara J (2019), “Resolution of Chronic Headaches, Improved Sociability, Health and Physical Behavior in a Child with Autism, ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Following Chiropractic Care to Reduce Vertebral Subluxation: A Case Report and Review of Literature,” Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health Chiropractic, 2019, pp. 63-70
3. Underhill M, Oakley P, and Harrison D, (2019), “Improved Cervical Lordosis Following Chiropractic in an Adolescent with Chronic Cervicogenic Symptoms form a Motor Vehicle Collision: A Case Report and Review of the Literature,” Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health Chiropractic,2018, pp. 99-108 https://www.vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/2018/09/19/improved-cervical-lordosis-following-chiropractic-in-an-adolescent-with-chronic-cervicogenic-symptoms-from-a-motor-vehicle-collision-a-case-report-review-of-the-literature/
4. Richerson A, Varnum C and Alcantara J (2019), “Resolution of Chronic Migraines and Neck Pain in a 23-Year-Old Female Following Chiropractic Care for Vertebral Subluxations: A Case Study and Review of the Literature,” Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, July 2019, pp. 90 – 103
5. Malo-Urries M, Tricas-Moreno JM, Estebanez-de-Miguel E, Hildago-Garcia C, Carrasco-Uribarren A, Cabanillas-Barea S (2017), “Immediate effects of upper cervical translatoric mobilization on cervical mobility and pressure pain threshold in patients with cervicogenic headache: a randomized controlled trial,” JMPT, Nov – Dec;40(9):649-658. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.07.007. 
6. Lidegaard M, Anderse LL (2018), “Association Between Trapezius Muscle Tenderness and Tension-Type Headache in Female Office Workers: a Cross-sectional Study,” JMPT Jul – Aug;41(6):483-487. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2017.10.016. Epub 2018 Aug 8
7. Staff writer (2016), “Stress on the Spine: the downside of prolific social media use.” Australian Spinal Research Foundation, https://spinalresearch.com.au/stress-on-the-spine-the-downside-of-prolific-social-media-use/
8. Page P (2011), “Cervicogenic Headaches an evidence-led approach to clinical management,” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201065/

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Ed Groenhart, chiropractor at Cambridgeshire Family Chiropractic, joins host Neil Whiteside and Tania Brint, of Appetite for Success, to talk exercise hacks (how to get enough without losing valuable time) on Cambridge 105 Radio.

A Linton chiropractor is supporting a national campaign encouraging people to spend more time ‘disconnected’ from their tech devices, following a rise in issues such as loneliness, stress, agoraphobia, fatigue, poor posture, aches and pains and even developmental delays in young people.

Ed Groenhart is taking part in the ‘Get Connected While Disconnected’ campaign which is part of Spinal Awareness Week on 12-18 May 2019, organised by The Alliance of UK Chiropractors (AUKC).

The body, which represents hundreds of chiropractors across the UK and internationally, says children and young adults especially are suffering a greater feeling of real-world disconnection because they’re spending so much time on their phones, computers, social media and digital games.

And they report that some children as young as five and six are getting repetitive strain injuries from playing games on their parents’ mobile phones for too long.

Ed is hoping the campaign will drive home the message that people should switch off from tech for periods of time each day to reconnect with the real-world things that are essential for good physical and mental health.

While chiropractors provide treatments or adjustments to musculoskeletal conditions in the nervous system, this brain/body connection is just one of five areas of health they guide patients on. The others are nutrition, movement, attitudes and relationships, and rest. The AUKC, incorporating the United Chiropractic Association (UCA), McTimoney Chiropractic Association (MCA) and the Scottish Chiropractic Association (SCA), says there’s a ‘disconnect’ in these five ‘pillars of health’ and that technology overuse is a major reason.

Ed, who is also an executive committee member of the UCA, agrees: “The increase in use of computers, mobile phones, PlayStation and Xboxes is leading to an epidemic in terms of aches and pains due to prolonged sitting, poor posture, lack of exercise and the effects of screen time on sleep. I am now personally seeing postural issues in teenagers that 18 years ago, when I was newly qualified, I only saw in older adults. Factor-in the realisation that many of us spend more time communicating electronically, certainly to more people, than we do face-to-face, and there are many emotional and psycho-social issues that I am convinced as related to this aspect of modern lifestyles.

“We don’t need to completely remove ourselves from modern tech gadgets; that’s not practical. However, short periods of switch-off time, screen-free days at weekends and on holiday, for example, can be a start”.

But getting people to switch off is a huge challenge. Researchers found that four out of five students had significant mental and physical distress and extreme isolation when forced to unplug from technology for an entire day (The World Unplugged; Dr Susan Moeller).

And another survey found that 83% of professional workers check their emails after work, while 66% take their technology with them on holiday, and more than half admit sending emails while having a meal with family or friends (Goldsmith, 2016).

Jonathan Clarke, executive member of the UCA, says it’s about getting the balance right: “We’re not saying ‘go and live in a barn in the middle of a remote island and disconnect from the world!’ But create those times in the day when you do take a break away. Give yourself time offline, don’t walk around with the phone in your hand 24/7. We recognise that technology is a great advancement. But we should be measuring that against our own health needs.

“For good health, we need activity, human contact and positive emotions, fresh food, quality sleep and a healthy nervous system. Often, the exact opposite is happening – inactivity and poor posture, loneliness and anxiety, unhealthy eating, poor sleep and a brain/body disconnect.

“We are hoping that this campaign can be the start of a tipping point in people making better choices. Because health issues don’t happen all of a sudden; they’re built up over time.  It’s the little day in, day out repetitions that create the problems. Prevention is better than cure.”

The 5 tips to reconnect this Spinal Awareness Week

Move: Be as active as you can.

Be social: Have regular catch-ups with family and friends.

Eat well: Prepare your own packed lunches and meals as much as possible, using healthy choices.

Rest:  Switch off all tech a good period of time before going to bed.

Take care of the nervous system: Restore the brain/body connection via treatments & adjustments.

If you’d like more information, contact Ed and Jo Groenhart or pop in for a chat. www.cambridgefamilychiro.co.uk

Ed Groenhart, and lifestyle coach Tania Brint of Appetite for Success, recently talked to Neil Whiteside of Cambridge 105 Radio about what it means to be health, and crucially, what it takes to stay that way as often as possible. You can listen to it here.

We use a number of chiropractic techniques to help you get better, stay well and feel great!

Diversified Technique

This is the most common chiropractic technique used by chiropractors worldwide and describes the more manual adjusting (sometimes referred to, though not by us, as spinal manipulative therapy, or SMT). A High Velocity Low Amplitude (HVLA) thrust is used: the speed (velocity) rather than force (amplitude) of an adjustment is key. Researchers have shown that it takes up to two years of practice to gain the skills necessary to have the speed of hand as a chiropractor to adjust in this way. Adjustments need to be delivered quickly (the thrust is typically 0.25 seconds) to create the correct response from nerve fibres around joints, muscles and tendons, leading to changes in spinal (and brain) function. This is the essence of a chiropractic adjustment.

Sacro-Occipital Technique (SOT)

SOT is the chiropractic technique that Ed uses most to identify the underlying pattern of spinal change (maladaptation) that has occurred due to stresses and strains placed upon it. Changes to tension in the spine, unequal loading onto the joints of the spine and pelvis, and joint or disc damage can all cause specific patterns to develop. SOT is perfectly developed to identify the most important areas to adjust first, thereby improving responses to care, and crucially improving your rate of recovery from aches and pains.

Webster Technique

Though originally developed to balance ligaments, joints and muscles in and around the pelvis in pregnant women, the Webster Technique can be used on anyone to correctly balance and improve function in the foundations of your frame: your pelvic girdle. For more details on this chiropractic technique see our specific article on the Webster Technique.

Dry Needling

Acupuncture is the insertion of fine solid filament needles into points along meridians. Meridians are invisible lines associated with a specific organ. Certain organs can be stimulated with placing needles at defined points.

With dry needling, the focus is on reducing muscular tension, spasm or dysfunction. By introducing the needle, a very small irritation within the body is sensed and the response is to help the body heal itself without need for medication.

Both forms of needling are similar to one another by the art of needling, insertion of needles, types of needles used and outcomes of healing, as well as types of conditions that can be treated. Needling is used for general muscular complaints through to women’s issues to post surgical rehabilitation.

The technique is relatively painless and has very few side effects. Spot bleeding after removal of the needle and/or associated bruising are the most common.

Questions?

If having read this article you are ready to start chiropractic care, or have any questions, please contact us and we will do our very best to answer them.

Last year we set, and surpassed, a target of raising £1000 for EACH. The question is, why? What is our connection? Well it all goes back to the time when we were running our previous practice in Nottinghamshire.

Family care in practice

Our practice was full of families. In fact at one time we even had three generations of the same family coming in for care. There were also many couples who went on to have children. One such couple was James and Rachel (*we have changed their names for anonymity). James and Rachel were thrilled when, after a number of years of trying, Rachel found out that she was pregnant. We supported her through this time, helping her with aches and pains, whilst keeping her spirits up. Finally a baby daughter, Mary, was born. We eagerly awaited seeing the happy family, but first mum and daughter were kept in hospital as Mary needed some extra observation. Two months passed. We had heard nothing more from James and Rachel.

Finally we got a call from James: Rachel was keen for Mary to be brought in to be checked, as the paediatricians had been checking her for a while and Mary appeared to have had a small bleed on her brain whilst in utero. After checking and gently adjusting Mary, taking into consideration her potential brain injury, we next heard that the consultant thought it had been some kind of stroke. The bad news soon became clear: Mary actually had an extremely rare genetic disorder that meant that she would be physically and mentally disabled for life, and that her life would be limited by the complications that this would bring.

Respite and End of Life Care

Thankfully James and Rachel heard about a local hospice, Rainbows, that could help them to look after Mary. It also had the facilities and care to give them an occasional break from the round-the-clock attention that they needed to give Mary. As soon as we heard about this, we began to raise funds for Rainbows as, just like EACH, they are not part of the NHS and rely on thousands of pounds every week just to stay open.

Tragically, shortly before we moved down to Linton, and opened our practice here, we were made aware that little Mary had given up her brave battle to live. Her mum still raises funds to help support parents in similar positions. Jo and I decided that we should continue to support similar causes, and were made aware of EACH. Their care is vital for so many disabled, life limited children and their families.

A proportion of every paid visit to us goes to EACH. This year we are aiming to raise £1500 in this way. Please let us know if you would like to top up this donation at any time, or just pop some loose change into the money box in the studio. Many thanks, and have a happy and healthy 2019.

Neil Whiteside of Cambridge 105 Radio chats to Ed Groenhart from Cambridgeshire Family Chiropractic Centre in Linton about how our busy lives affect our posture. If the above link isn’t working, go to the Cambridge 105 Radio podcasts page.

Yes, you read it right: Meghan Markle, recently announced pregnant (and married to Prince Harry), is having a geriatric pregnancy. Or at least from a obstetrician’s point of view. Any mother over 35 (Meghan is 37) is still, even in this day and age, considered to be “too old” to be a new mum, and therefore pregnancy is a risk to her health. And to make matters worse, she’s even gone on holiday during her pregnancy: heaven forbid! (I just hope she’s read our hints and tips).

I jest. NHS figures released last year showed the number of women over 40 giving birth in England and Wales has tripled since the 1980s. Whilst a lot of this has to do with career objectives and possibly even house prices, there is still no reason to use this derogatory phrase, and it is derogatory talking about a geriatric at any age (in this chiropractor‘s humble opinion it’s the life in your years, not the years in your life, that counts). Whilst there is a statistical increase in the chances of genetic disorders such as Down’s Syndrome, there is also an increased chance of your child having a higher IQ and being fitter. Care has to be taken around birth due to increased complication risks, such as pre-eclampsia, but a good midwife and/or doula can help a lot in these circumstances to support you and your partner.

So what can we take from this high profile pregnancy? First of all, you are not alone if you are having a baby later in life. There will be many after you being told they are having a geriatric pregnancy (argh, that’s it, no more mention of that phrase). It’s good to know that you have navigated some of life’s complicated times, and still have the memories to share with your little ones. You also have more stability and resources to help with bringing up a baby, and less worries that maybe by having a child now you are missing out on anything. Remember that successful pregnancy is a subjective term, and preparing mentally as well as physically is really important. Your support network will probably already include mums who can share their experience (just choose carefully who’s stories you listen to!) and like anything in life we never stop learning.

If you want to start off on the right foot, please read our pregnancy blog articles, and if you have any further questions, or need any help, contact us. Jo and I have over 25 years’ combined experience of seeing mums-to-be, and also have two children of our own. They’re young enough for us to still have the memories (both good and bad) fresh in our minds regarding the pregnancy and childbirth journey.

The documentary Overfed and Undernourished, the story of an obese child and his journey back from the brink of health problems, is one that all parents need to watch to see what even a fraction of this kind of lifestyle can do to our little ones. It’s a tough watch at times, but we feel its impact is what will keep healthy living at the forefront of our parenting minds. It’s being shown at our place, 4 The Woodlands, Linton, at 8pm on 20th November. Book on eventbrite or call 07870568548.