Raleigh, NC  

Headaches can cause a very significant change in one’s quality of life. Activities like being productive at work or school, enjoying family time, social interactions with friends and participating in sporting and recreational activities can often be negatively impacted when someone suffers with chronic tension headaches.  The pain from headaches can be unbearable at times.

What is a tension headache?

Tension headaches, or cervicogenic headaches, are the most common type of headaches.  This is the type of headache you get after sitting at a computer screen all week at work or when you wake up in the morning with a headaches after sleeping on your neck the wrong way at night. There is usually associated neck pain/stiffness, upper back pain and tightness.

Tension headaches occur when the joints and muscles at the base of the skull and even in the upper back become irritated, tight and inflamed.  Irritated joints, muscles, nerves and fascia in and around the spine causes a referred type of headache to the head also known as a tension headache.

What causes tension headaches?

To understand some of the causes of tension headaches, it is important to understand the anatomy of the upper cervical spine and its relationship to headaches.

 The top vertebrae in the cervical spine are referred to C1 or the atlas (the meaning comes fro from Greek mythology, in which Atlas supported the weight of the world).  The C1 vertebrae allows for full movements in the neck and head including rotation, flexion and extension.

C2  is the second cervical vertebrae in the spine and is often referred to as the dens. The dens or C2 acts as a pivot that allows the atlas and head to rotate and move side to side.  

These top vertebrae C1 and C2  are surrounded by nerves, connective tissue, muscles, and ligaments that attach the spine to the base of the skull.  This area of the body is designed to contain highly sensitive nerves and pain fibers because it is in close proximity to the brain and spinal cord.

 In addition, the vertebral artery runs up through the C1 on the right and left sides of the vertebrae and into your brain to supply it with blood and oxygen.

 When this highly sensitive region of the upper cervical spine experiences joint dysfunction or the muscles, ligaments and nerves become tense and irritated. This in turn leads to a cervicogenic headaches or “tension headache.”

How can chiropractors treat tension headaches?

Chiropractic treatments for these headaches include targeting the irritated and tight joints and muscles that may be the root cause of the tension headaches. Chiropractic spinal manipulations or adjustments restore mobility to the fixated stiff and inflamed vertebrae in the upper cervical spine and upper back or thoracic spine.  When these joints are adjusted mobility is restored to the vertebrae relieving muscle tension and soreness.

Chiropractic treatments also include soft tissue therapies where tight muscles and trigger points are treated. It’s very important when treating tension headaches to treat the spinal vertebrae, muscles and ligaments.

Chiropractors will also prescribe specific exercises to correct chronic postural problems that may be contributing to your tension headaches.

Often times a condition such as forward head posture and poor posture in the upper back are causing the joints and muscles to carry too much of the heads weight leading to inflammation and irritation in the joints and muscles in the upper cervical spine and upper back.

When treating tension headaches in my office it is also important that we address relaxation techniques, exercise habits and possible nutritional deficiencies like magnesium, calcium and vitamin D.

In summary, tension headaches are one of the top conditions treated by chiropractors around the country with a great deal of success.

If you have any more questions about the treatment of tension headaches in my office, feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment today. Walk-ins are also welcome at our local Raleigh, NC Chiropractor’s office.

In health,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes D.C.

Did you know that headache treatment is one of the top reasons for visits to chiropractic offices around the country? 

Patients suffering from headaches often have associated neck pain, upper back pain, tension, tightness and dysfunction.

Often times, this pain and dysfunction originates from dysfunctions in the spine and causes a cervicogenic headaches or “tension headaches”

Some common symptoms of tension headaches include:

• Head or face pain which can be unilateral or bilateral and located at the base of the skull or around the eyes
• Associated neck pain, tension, stiffness, soreness, pressure
• Throbbing, dull, constant pain
• Pain and stiffness turning the neck, looking up or down
• Head pain made worse with added pressure such as sneezing or coughing
• Pain that can last for hours or even days or that comes with sitting in the same position for several hours a day
• Pain around the eyes
• Tension, pain, spasms or pins and needles in upper back, shoulders, arms, or hands
• Feeling lightheaded
• Nausea

From a clinical perspective it is important to note that there is a relationship between chronic tension headaches and depression.

Some common causes cervicogenic or tension headache causes:

• Irritated tight inflamed neck muscles
• Injuries or inflammation in the discs in the neck
• Old or new whiplash injuries usually from car accidents or sports injuries
• Forward head posture (act of holding head out in front of you) or when your head juts to far over the shoulders
• Working at computer all day
• Bad posture

Factors that may cause an increase risk of developing cervicogenic headaches:

In many cases, cervicogenic headaches can be prevented. There are risk factors to watch out for in order to avoid such pain. Some of those risk factors are outlined below.

• Smoking – this can increase disc degeneration
• Age – natural wear and tear can cause disc problems
• Occupation – sitting for long periods of time, working in construction or commercial fishing.
• Sports – professional sports with high impact
• Sleep – lack of sleep due to poor posture
• Lack of exercise – poor physical condition leads to weak muscles
• Poor nutrition – can lead to fractures

It is important to take note that oftentimes tension headaches come from tiny misalignments in the vertebrae of the spine.  Usually the cervical and thoracic spine.  Chiropractors specialize and are trained to evaluate and treat their patients for these vertebral joint dysfunctions that may be the root cause of cervicogenic or tension headaches.

Vertebrae in the spine are surrounded by sensitive nerves, connective tissue, muscles, and ligaments.  These tissues contain highly sensitive nerves and pain fibers because.  When the vertebrae misalign it causes irritation, excess tension and inflammation on these surrounding nerves, connective tissues, muscles and ligaments.   The pain and dysfunction is then referred to the head or face.  This is called referred pain.  

Yes, the body can have an injury or dysfunction in one region that causes pain in a totally separate region of the body. You have heard of someone having shoulder, arm or jaw pain but no chest pain when they are experiencing early symptoms of a heart attack.  The same referral mechanism is responsible for inflammation and dysfunction of the vertebrae in the spine causing tension headaches.

Chiropractors specialize in treating tension headaches of the spine through spinal adjustments, physical therapies and by teaching corrective and preventative measures like helping their patients correct their workstations or underlying postural problems that are causing the headaches and dysfunction in the first place.  

 If you have any more questions about the treatment of headaches in my office, feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment today . Walk-ins are also welcome at our local Raleigh, NC Chiropractor’s office.

In health,

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes D.C.

Low back pain is a very common problem. Approximately 80% of us experience low back pain at some point in our life.And, 25% of adults have had lower back pain recently.

 Low back affects women and men equally and is the leading cause of work related disability and missed work days. I see this all the time at our local Raleigh, NC chiropractic office.  Low back pain can develop overtime gradually through degeneration and arthritis in the spine or can occur suddenly through a sprain/strain or a disc herniation.

 While most lower back pain will resolve within a few weeks. It is estimated that 20% of those who developed an acute onset of low back pain will still have persistent symptoms or year later.So, what can one do to prevent and manage lower back pain to avoid it becoming a chronic or disabling  condition?

 Best initial treatment for low back pain?

 Aggressive initial treatment with chiropractic spinal adjustments and therapy. This is what I suggest to chronic lower back pain patients at our Raleigh, NC chiropractor’s office.

 If your odds are around 20% of acute low back pain becoming chronic, and having the condition a year later, it’s important to tackle it right away!  You wouldn’t want to take those odds to Vegas at the blackjack tables or get on the plane that had a 20% chance of crashing.

 Chiropractic spinal adjustments have repeatedly been shown to effectively treat acute low back pain. A recent study looked at maintenance spinal adjustments in which participants received regular follow up care after the initial bout of low back pain had resolved.  Group 1 received 12 sham or fake chiropractic treatments for one month. Group 2 received 12 treatments for one month, but no treatments after that. Group 3 received 12 treatments for one month followed by maintenance care of chiropractic adjustments two times a month for the next nine months.

The researchers concluded that group two and three had significantly less low back pain and disability scores in the groups then group one which  received the fake chiropractic adjustments or “sham” adjustments. The third group experienced the most improvement with their lower back pain and disability scores at the conclusion of the ten-month study.

Consider getting on a maintenance schedule with your chiropractor once the initial severe sharp pain in your lower back has subsided. If you’ve gotten chiropractic treatment in the past and would like to set up a regular maintenance package at our Raleigh, NC chiropractor’s office, get in touch here.

Exercise to treat low back pain

The sooner you can start exercising and stretching the muscles ligaments and joints in your lower back and core the better your long-term outcomes will be and the less risk you’ll have a developing chronic low back pain or disability. Important to note: exercise is not recomended the first several days after an injury.

 Studies in which subject receive chiropractic spinal adjustments with therapeutic rehab exercises show the participants routinely do better in their outcomes, recovery times, and long-term outcome measurements like returning to work and regular activities.

 If you’re experiencing an acute about of lower back pain make sure to have your doctor or physical therapist evaluates you for tight hamstring muscles, weak core strength, weak spinal extensors muscles, poor posture and other structural problems that can predispose you to developing chronic lower back after an acute episode of low back pain.

Get some ice on your back within the first 72 hours after injuries.

Ice helps relieve release chemicals in your body called endorphins which help block pain signals from registering with your brain, decrease anxiety depression and stress.  

Ice also constricts the injured area limiting the amount of inflammatory chemicals being released when there is an injury . These chemicals help drive pain and excite sensitive pain nerves in and around your lower back.  Limiting the amount of these chemicals your body releases when it when it experiences an injury is very critical to limiting the amount of inflammation and chances of increased odds that your body will develop chronic lower back pain from an acute onset of lower back pain.

If you have any more questions about the treatment of chronic lower back pain, feel free to reach out and schedule an appointment today . Walk-ins are also welcome at our local Raleigh, NC chiropractor’s office.

 

In health,

 

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes D.C.

 

Raleigh, NC

Many assume chiropractors only crack backs and necks. If you do too, you’re not alone. However, this is a misconception. Chiropractors are trained to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, to battle injuries,  to optimize athletic performance and prevent injury, and to enhance recovery in runners. In fact, chiropractic care is chosen by many in Raleigh, NC, including  some of the world’s top athletes.  

In my office, I personally treat many different athletes, and runners typically tend to present with a variety of musculoskeletal complaints. Runners that I treat in my chiropractic clinic in Raleigh, NC tend to suffer from repetitive stress injuries in the back, pelvis, hips, knees, feet and ankles.

From treating runners in my Raleigh, NC chiropractic clinic, here are  the most common running related injuries I see and how chiropractic care can treat and manage them.

 

Top 3 Running Related Injuries in Raleigh NC:

 1. Lower back pain from inflamed lumbar discs

Running causes repetitive impact on the lumbar discs.  The discs become inflamed and can bulge or herniate. This can lead to low back pain, sciatica, nerve pain and muscle spasms.

Low back pain from running  is a condition treated frequently in my office.  Typically with spinal and pelvis chiropractic adjustments for proper mobility, electrical muscle stimulation to modulate pain, muscle spasms, inflamed nerves and stiffness, lumbar traction to decompress and pump the lumbar dics targeted strengthening and stretching exercises to strengthen weak muscles and stretch contracted and tight muscles.

2. Sacroiliac joint pelvis and spinal alignment issues

Excessively tight and short muscles, improper shoes, running on slanted services and running the same course daily can have an affect on proper pelvic, sacroiliac joint and spinal vertebral alignment.

It’s a good idea to train on different running surfaces. Try switching it up by running in the woods or on the beach. When running on the beach, try running on the harder sand surfaces and not the loose sand. This will provide  a more stable surface for your knees ankles hips and low back. It’s also a good idea to switch up your shoes and try alternating the pairs that you train in.

You should also always stretch after your runs and in between training sessions. Recent studies point to a decrease risk and injuries by stretching after running and an increased risk of injuries when stretching before running. Focus on the muscles and ligaments getting the most wear and tear, like the piriformis muscles, gluteus medius, TFL, IT band, paralumbar muscles, calf muscles, hamstrings and quadriceps.

Chiropractic adjustments will help to mobilize and balance joint misalignments. When chiropractors align the joints in your sacroiliac and lumbar spine, they will move more smoothly and freely when you run providing increased performance and decrease risk of injury. Your local Raleigh chiropractor, like myself, may also utilize adjustments to your feet knees knees ankles and hips also to help you manage extremity dysfunctions.

Chiropractic adjustments combined with the proper strengthening and stretching exercises will target the surrounding muscles and ligaments of the joints.

3. Knee Pain & IT Band Syndrome

IT band syndrome is when the IT band becomes irritated, inflamed and hyper contracted.  It is a form of tendinitis. The band which starts as a muscle in your gluteal muscles. The gluteus medius muscle turns into a fibrous fascia called the TFL or Tensor Fascia Lata.  The TFL then turns into a tendon that attaches to the outside of your knee often called the IT Band. These muscle muscles, fascia and tendons should be stretched aggressively in runners to avoid knee pain, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, and lower back pain .

Inner and outer knee pain running causes repetitive wear and tear on the knees causes a loss in joint space.  The repetitive pounding from running can wear down and damage the medial and lateral meniscus in the knees, which are considered tendons on the inside and outside of the knees. Your local Raleigh, NC chiropractor may also recommend bracing, rest and physical therapy to help manage to your knee pain from running.

Many times, over pronation or over supination issues in the feet need to be addressed with custom orthotics or proper shoes. I often find patellar tracking issues related to the meniscus also respond well to switching over to custom foot orthotics and chiropractic alignments of the patella joint.

If you are a runner in Raleigh, NC experiencing any of these problems, chiropractic care could be a good solution for you. Contact us to schedule an appointment today .

In health,

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes D.C.

 

Sports Injury Treatment In Raleigh, NC: Why You Should Consider a Chiropractor

When it comes to sports injuries, chiropractors provide healthcare services with many beneficial outcomes and treatments. Chiropractors hold an understanding of the bodies biomechanical principles and not only treat sports injuries but focus their practices on injury prevention functionality stability strength and flexibility.

Chiropractic care is often used by world class athletes for sports performance enhancement, injury recovery, injury prevention and treating pain. Chiropractors are on staff with all of the NFL football teams and some estimates by experts have shown that 90% of all world class athletes use chiropractic care.  72% of PGA golfers also use chiropractors as well as the majority of NBA MLB and NHL teams.

Most chiropractors in every state are licensed to perform physical therapy.  Some treatments for sports injuries in chiropractic offices include:

• bracing and taping
• ultrasound therapy for injury recovery
• electrical muscle stimulation for pain management
• spinal manipulative therapy for joint care and function
• prescribing and supplying DME (durable medical equipment) such as back braces, knee braces, shoulder braces, and tens units
• nutritional and supplement advice
• cold laser therapy
• ice and heat therapy
• stretching and strengthening protocols
• muscle tissue work to break up scar tissue

 Spine injuries make up 3% of all athletic injuries, and while the chiropractor is well trained in managing shoulder, knee, ankle, elbow and wrist injuries, he or she must be well prepared to deal with spinal injuries from sports related accidents.

 Can chiropractic care improve athletic performance?

 An injured or misaligned spine can interfere with the bodies ability to perform in athletics. Spinal adjustments and chiropractic treatments keep the spine working properly which can aid in performance enhancement.

 In one study, athletes had a 6.12% increase in performance after receiving chiropractic treatment another study found a 30% improvement in hand eye coordination after 12 weeks of chiropractic care.

Studies from the annals of internal medicine and British Medical Journal both found that for shoulder pain, adding shoulder manipulations or adjustments to traditional rehab physical therapy techniques improve the outcomes and reduced pain associated with certain shoulder injuries.

 For ankle injuries a similar study by the JMPT Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic care of ankle sprains helped increase motion, lesson pain and provide better ankle function.

 Many musculoskeletal injuries and complaints happen during a sports injury. For the most athletes, even the weekend warriors, the body is undergoing constant stressors from running, jumping, twisting, lifting, contact, and competing.

 Some of the common injuries experienced in sports include: 

• ligament tears
• sprains and strains
• contusions
• herniated discs
• repetitive stress injuries
• torn muscles
• joint pain
• Tendinitis
• headaches

 It is common practice in my office where I treat many runners who are suffering from IT band syndrome of the leg and knee, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and inflamed injured spinal discs and joints from frequent repetitive stress.

Many times I find that the knee and back problems are coming from sacroiliac joint dysfunction.  Sacroiliac joint imbalances that when addressed lead to a decrease in repetitive stress and pain in the knees, feet, ankles and lower back.

 In summary, chiropractors specialize in the body’s biomechanical structure/function and successfully treat and manage athletic related conditions and injuries. Chiropractic joint manipulation combined with physical therapies, custom orthotics and nutritional management is used successfully by the public and many of the world’s top athletes.

 If you’re suffering from a sports injury and are looking for treatment options in the Raleigh, NC area, schedule an appointment today .

 

In health,

Dr. Jeffrey Gerdes, D.C.

Tom Brady-

“Chiropractic just makes you feel so much better,” says New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. “When I walk out of the clinic, I feel like I’m about three inches taller and everything’s in place. And as long as I see the chiropractor, I feel like I’m one step ahead of the game.”

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger-

“Let me tell you there is no better profession than chiropractic. Chiropractic is about health and fitness. Chiropractic is about natural, preventative health care. What you are doing, and I have experienced this for the last 30 years on my own body, means that whenever I have a problem- or even if I don’t have a problem- and I go to a chiropractor, my problems are gone for a long time. I am very fortunate to have, so-to-speak, my in-house chiropractor, Dr. Franco Columbo, as my own personal chiropractor. So I visit Franco regularly, and he comes over to my house. He adjusts my wife, my kids, me, everybody gets an adjustment. And we feel always great when Franco leaves. Even when I have athletic injuries he’s always there for me and helps me. You chiropractic doctors are really miracle workers.”

 

Joe Montana-

“I only wish I had tried chiropractic a few years ago when I first started having back pain and maybe surgery would never have happened. I feel it helps me recover sooner and prevent injuries. It’s about prevention so your body can function at optimum health.”

 

Jerry Rice –

“Most injuries require chiropractic care. It works better for me than anything else.”