Integrative Health Blog

Headaches and Sleep Apnea

Posted by on Wed, Jun 19, 2013

Lowell Weiner DDS

Do you ever wake up with a headache, or get one by the end of the day?

Are they associated with neck pain or do you have a separate neck pain?

Headaches, Neckaches and Sleep Apnea

A new study from the University of Kansas Medical Center has shown that these symptoms are strongly associate with sleep apnea.  This is a new association. Non supine sleep provoked by sleep disordered breathing (as with sleep apnea) may play a previously unrecognized role in headache and cervical radiculopathy, or neck problems of the upper spine.

This information comes on top of the body's continued accomodation of postural changes that occur daily- everything that surrounds the throat- all muscles, etc. have to work to keep the throat and airway open. We know that jaw position pays a critical role in Jaw joint or TMJ problems, as it acts like a lever to the cervical spine and thus impacts the throat. This can decrease the space in the throat which can lead to decreased oxygen to the whole body and trigger headaches and sleep apnea. These headaches can occur in the early morning when getting up or throughout the day, and may be treated  by well-meaning physicians with drugs- but this does not address the cause of the problem because physicians are not trained in the biomechanics of the jaw. Many times a dentist's treatment of a jaw problem by way of the teeth can improve or contribute to the dysfunction of the jaw, which then acts like dominoes, affecting other areas to create a headache, neck ache or sleep problem. To further compound the problem, every time we swallow, which is over 2000 times a day, the effect is magnified.

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Tags: sleep disorders, dental health, TMJ, headaches

Sneaky Symptoms of Allergies

Posted by on Thu, Oct 20, 2011

Barbara Solomon MD

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Tags: irritable bowel syndrome, GERD, allergies, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, headaches

Should you be seeing a chiropractor?

Posted by on Sat, Sep 03, 2011

by Dr. Coy Roskosky, D.C.

In the September 2011 issue of Consumer Reports  an article was written entitled “Alternative  Therapies” in which 45,000 readers tell you what helped the most with their health issues. 

Here are the results:

Chiropractic  ranked 1st in back pain and neck pain, 3rd in headaches/migraines.  Chiropractic was also ranked 3rd and 4th in Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia, respectively.  Even more interesting, chiropractic was ranked in 2nd in Cold & Flu and 3rd for Allergies. 

So what does this have to do with you?

Chiropractic care can help your health tremendously!  People are using chiropractic for medical conditions like back and neck pain, but they are also using it to treat a variety of other health issues like carpal tunnel, plantar fasciitis and temporal mandibular dysfunction (TMD.)  Also, you don’t have to see a chiropractor just for pain; it is also used for preventative care.

Chiropractic is More Mainstream than Alternative

Chiropractic is mainstream in healthcare now!  I’ve watched Chiropractic use increase in the past 15 years on the East Coast.  I’m excited to see people learn more about chiropractic and use it for a variety of issues.  But I am even more excited when I see people who thought that they were just going to have to live with their health conditions decide to utilize chiropractic and then improve to the point where they feel normal again.  All because they made the choice to get chiropractic care and receive it’s benefits. 

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Tags: back pain, chronic fatigue/fibromyalgia, chiropractic, headaches

An Integrative Medicine Approach to Headaches

Posted by on Wed, Jul 21, 2010

by Cathlene Scoblionko NP

 

Many people who suffer from headaches search for a way to prevent them, as well as, treat them in a way that involves less down time, less medication, and less expense. There is no doubt that there are some great medications out there for treating the different kinds of headaches.  Muscle tension headaches respond well to NSAIDS and muscle relaxants, migraines respond well to the triptan medications.  However, most medications do just that- treat the headache once it is there.  There are some medications that are preventative but require daily dosing which can be expensive and increase the possibility of side effects.  What types of complementary or alternative methods might there be to prevent headaches?  We cannot answer that question until we know what causes headache pain. 

What are some of the common muscle tension or stress headache triggers?

  • Lack of sleep, poor sleep, poor sleep conditions
  • Head or neck injury
  • Repetitive stress such as sitting at the computer all day
  • Emotional stress
  • Tension or strain of neck, scalp, face, jaw
  • Eye strain

How can headaches be prevented?

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Tags: integrative medicine, integrated medicine, headaches