Are headaches normal?
Headaches are a very common complaint, with patients frequently reporting that get headaches multiple times per week, or even daily, which they usually attribute the to stress, not drinking enough water, staring too long at a screen, or genetics. While these factors can certainly contribute to occasional headaches, it’s important to state that headaches are not normal. We’re not supposed to have pain in our head (or anywhere else, for that matter) In my experience helping patients with headaches, the cause is most often a misalignment of the spine, and it isn’t always in the neck. This misalignment causes swelling, which puts pressure on nerves.
So, we have an area (or areas) of the spine that’s out of place, which is causing swelling, which is pressing on nerves and making you miserable. What are some possible solutions? You could take over-the-counter NSAIDS (anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve), you could also take stronger prescription anti-inflammatories or prescription migraine medications, injection therapies (which can last 2-6 months), or electro-cautery (where the offending nerves are ‘electrocuted’ until pain subsides). These may be successful at alleviating your pain, which is a good thing, right? Well, let’s consider what pain is. Pain is merely a signal in the body that something is injured or is not working correctly. So, if we drug or kill the nerves that carry pain signals, it’s just like taking the batteries out of your smoke alarm when it’s going off in your kitchen, without doing anything about the fire burning in the oven. Have you fixed the problem? Not really. Plus, anti-inflammatory drugs, pain-killers, injections, and surgeries are are toxic and harmful to your body, and have a very poor performance record in my experience.
I prefer to locate and fix the problem by restoring proper alignment in the spine, thereby relieving the pressure on the offending nerve and allowing the body to heal itself naturally. The swelling goes down, the muscle spasm subsides, and the pain goes away.
Also, you must remember that only a small portion of the nerves that exit the spine are ‘pain nerves’. The majority of these nerves are designed to coordinate and maintain the body. Therefore, by taking pressure off the nerve(s), the pain goes away, but we’re also restoring proper function to the nervous system again, which allows your body to heal and regulate itself properly. Taking pressure off so that we get rid of headaches is just the tip of the iceberg.