Headache Care In Virginia Beach

If you have a headache, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten Virginia Beach residents suffer from headaches. Some are occasional, some frequent, some are dull and throbbing, and some cause debilitating pain and nausea.

What do you do when you suffer from a pounding headache? Do you grit your teeth and carry on? Lie down? Pop a pill and hope the pain goes away? There is a better alternative.

Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than a commonly prescribed medication.

Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are indicators of a more serious condition.

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as muscle tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary problem.

“The vast majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. Mike Geheren, a doctor of chiropractic from Virginia Beach, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase stress on the joints which causes irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

What Can You Do?

We at New Life Chiropractic suggest the following:

• If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.

• Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.

• Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.

• Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Dr. Geheren your chiropractor in Virginia Beach may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

• Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.

• Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.

• Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

“Chiropractors undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways – not just back pain,” says Dr. Geheren. “We know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of the body, and we can take steps to relieve those problems.” If you live in Virginia Beach, and suffer with headaches, call us today! 757-222-0910.

The following is a statement made by Dr. Ray Wilbur former president of Stanford University and The American Academy of Medicine.

       "New treatments make use of heat,cold,water,electricity, and specific manipulations. They bring biological responces more potent than many of the drugs gathered through the centuries by trial and error. Medicine based on pills and potions is becoming obsolete. The medical profession will profit by recognizing this new concept, and must insist that its schools promptly mold instruction to conform with the new knowledge of body mechanics."

This was true in 1977 when it was written and even more so today.

The word subluxation has become a term used exclusively by chiropractors. In medical terms it describes a joint that is partially dislocated, in chiropractic terms it means much more. We define the subluxation to be a vertebra that has lost its proper juxtaposition to the one above or below, or both, to an extent less than a luxation (dislocation); which impinges nerves and interferes with the transmission of mental impulses. This locked and malpositioned joint causes a narrowing of the intervertebral foramina (opening) and causes nerve interference.(i.e. a pinched nerve). This pinch can cause both pain and dysfunction. The pain is the bodies alarm system telling us something is wrong, the dysfunction can come in many forms. We treat the condition and the pain goes away and normal body function is restored. Sound simple? It is simple, safe and effective. Subluxation can be found through examination and seen on plain film x rays which are routinely done in a chiropractic office. Call today for a free consultation to find out if you may be suffering from subluxation. 757-222-0910

For years at my old practice I was told that the Christmas holidays were a very slow time of year. I started thinking about it and it occurred to me that that made no sense. The holiday season can be extremely stressful, the cold causes joint and muscle pain and of course the yard cleanup and home decorating can take a toll on the back. Taking time out to exercise (20 minutes/day), meditate and taking a few deep breaths can reduce the pain and headaches caused by stress. This is also the perfect time of year to stay up on your massage therapy and chiropractic adjustments. We carry a full line of nutritional products designed to reduce stress. Call today to get that stress back under control. New Life Chiropractic (757)222-0910

Chiropractors often get asked whether or not we are real doctors. This could be insulting, but the question usually comes from a lack of understanding of the curriculum of a chiropractic college. These are the current requirements so you can decide for yourself.

 Chiropractors go through an immense amount of schooling to receive a "Doctor of Chiropractic" degree (also known as a D.C.).  Their collegiate agenda is as follows:

- Graduate from a four year college.

- Completing at least two years undergraduate study, with a focus on the sciences.

- Four years of Chiropractic Education.

- Take mandatory internships.

- At least 900 hours of work in a Chiropractic Clinic.

- After graduating, pass a written and oral board exams, at national and state levels.

A Chiropractor may opt to choose to advance their degree in an area of specialty. 

These areas include: Chiropractic neurology, radiology, sports medicine, as well as many other fields

This chart shows the number of hours served under study by Chiropractic students and Medical students:

Chiropractic Student Hours Class Description VS.  Medical Student Hours

Chiropractic hours                         Medical hours

          520                    Anatomy               508

          420                    Physiology            326 

          271                    Pathology             335 

          300                    Chemistry             325 

          114                     Bacteriology        130 

          370                     Diagnosis               374 

          320                     Neurology             112 

          217                     X-Ray                     148 

           65                      Psychiatry             144 

           65        Obstetrics & Gynecology 198 

         225                      Orthopedics         156 

      2,887                      Total Hours       2,756

      1,598              Specialty Courses   1,492

      4,485              Entire hours             4,248

Yes chiropractic care is safe. On average a medical doctor pays from $13,000  to over $50,000 a year for their malpractice insurance. Chiropractors pay about $1200 for the same insurance. We pay less not because the insurance companies like us, but because we dont hurt people. We have been developing modern chiropractic care for well over 100 years.  Durring this time a great deal of energy has been spent creating techniques that are painless, effective and most importantly safe. When chiropractic treatment is compared to the alternatives of drugs and or surgery it really starts to look extremely safe. Call today to see what chiropractic can do for you. 757-222-0910.

Patients often ask what is a healthy diet? This is an extremely complicated question with many possible answers. I think it is safe to say that a healthy diet should be vegetable based with a lot of variety. Avoiding or reducing the amount of processed wheat and products containing large quantities of sugar. Meat should be minimal with lean chicken or fish the primary type. Low fat dairy in small amounts can be ok. An easy way to create a healthy meal is to divide your plate into thirds. One third would contain 6-8 ounces of lean fish or chicken or occasionally an egg. The second third would be vegetable preferable raw or lightly steamed and or a salad. The third section would be raw or unsalted nuts. Almonds are the best. It would be dificult and borring to eat this way at every meal so some healthy alternatives would come into play. A piece of fruit is an always good snack. Good quality supplementation is also important. The most basic should be an organic bioavailable multivitamin. Chiropractors blend makes a decent one at an affordable price.This is a diet that works to keep you lean and healthy. We would love to get you on track. Call New Life today 757-222-0910 

Backpain Treatment.

          Chiropractors are back pain specialists. We spend much of our education learning about the function and treatment of the  back. There can be many causes of back pain most of which can be more effectively treated through chiropractic adjustments and therapy  than with drugs or surgery. An effective back pain doctor will treat as well as educate the patient on home remedies in order to get the best outcome.

          Who has not suffered from neck  pain, neck and shoulder pain, headaches or even just a stiff neck.  The average person will experience at least one of these conditions every year. It becomes very hard to concentrate or get anything done when in the middle of a bought of neck pain. For years people assumed that episodes of a creak in the neck or waking up with a stiff neck was just a normal response to a tough day at the office. We have a much better understanding now. Conditions of the neck and upper back don’t have to be tolerated any more. Come see Dr. Geheren at New Life Chiropractic.

If the massage is done in a doctors office with supervision it is often covered by insurance. Call our insurance clerk today to find out if you insurance covers. 757-498-0098 or go to our website at www.bestvirginiabeachchiropractor.com