 Headaches in short are a continuous pain around the head, face or neck, they can occur in any part of the head, on both sides of the head or in just one location. They are one of the most common medical complaints and can have a disabling effect on a day to day basis like quality of sleep, mood and overall function of the body. PRIMARY VS SECONDARY HEADACHES Headaches are broadly categorised as either primary or secondary. A primary headache is when the headaches are not caused by another condition or disease. The two most common primary headaches are migraines and tension type headaches. A secondary headache is caused by problems elsewhere in the head or neck, or by a condition. The two most common secondary headaches are cervicogenic and medication overuse headaches. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO YOUR HEADACHE Tension type headaches, migraines and cervicogenic headaches like many pain issues we are challenged with, are what we call 'multi-factorial'. We as Chiropractors, like the bio - psycho - social construct when approaching patient care and this encapsulates headaches we see in the clinic every week very well. But what does this actually mean? Well in terms of headaches (and all pain) it means that lots of things contribute to the pain you are experiencing. One analogy could be the overflowing 'tea cup'. If we think of your headaches as the overfilling of a tea cup (stick with me here) then everything in your life tipped into the tea cup could be a contributor. Things such as: stress, dietary factors, sleep quality, exercise habits, hormones, genetics, medications, biomechanical skeletal factors and many more. Sometimes the triggers can be very hard to pin down because the thing that tips you over the edge can be different at different times and the last thing to make the cup overflow…… and then boof - headache.  DRUGS AND HEADACHES There is significant dissatisfaction with headache drug outcomes and the side effects that come with taking these drugs and headaches are the third most common reason for why people seek help from chiropractors. We are a drug free alternative for headache sufferers. HOW CAN WE HELP? So how can chiropractic care actually help with headaches? Assessment of posture, muscle tone, functional movement patterns and how the spine and extremities are moving while taking into account work, hobbies and other daily activities are important factors for the possible causes of the headache. After this, appropriate treatment, lifestyle changes and patient education is needed. Treatment can include:
Simple management plans that you can implement straight away include:
If you suffer from headaches on a regular basis or general neck pain, I highly recommend visiting a health professional. If you are local to the Loftus area, health associates would be more than happy to help you with these issues and take a holistic assessment and approach to taking control of your life.  Joshua Hallinan Chiropractor Joshua is a very focused, dedicated and committed Practitioner. Growing up in Menai, he has been actively involved in AFL and Cricket and currently has a passion for Soccer and strength based training. He loves sport but more importantly, Joshua can see the major benefits of being active and moving regularly. Joshua's special interests are in sports injuries, musculoskeletal complaints and headaches. He enjoys helping relieve pain and alignments and supporting his patients to live optimally as well as instilling optimism and personal belief that moving well is important for a happy and health life. You know when you see Joshua you are in the hands of someone who continually strives to be ahead in his profession and will bring his expertise and skill to all of his patients. You'll find Josh has a friendly and enthusiastic personality, who is also very relaxed and down to earth to be with, leaving you feel comfortable and confident in his treatment and recommendations. Availability Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday - 3pm - 7pm Friday - 3pm - 7pm
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 Sciatica is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit as soon as someone complains of pain running down the leg. Sciatic nerve pain is when there is radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, this is from your lower spine through the buttock and down the back of the leg. In some cases, depending on where the nerve is affected, the pain can run all the way to the foot. It is typically one sided but in serious cases affect both legs. Sciatica pain is actually a symptom rather than a medical condition, illness, or disease and signals an underlying medical issue. The sciatic nerve is like a large river with many smaller rivers flowing into it, the small rivers are the nerve roots from the lower back and all come together to make the sciatic nerve around the hip region. The sciatic nerve is the longest and largest nerve in the body, about the width of a human finger. SYMPTOMS OF PATHOLOGY TO THE SCIATIC NERVE:
  CAUSES Sciatica is commonly cause by pressure or irritation from a disc herniation or disc bulge. The disc is pressing on one of the lumbar or sacral nerve roots. This is present in around 90% of cases and often occurs during heavy lifting. Other causes include:
PREVENTION
GENERAL TREATMENT Most cases do not require surgery, but the type of therapy will depend on severity of the condition and include:
How does chiropractic care help with sciatica? Chiropractic treatment is used when the issue causing the sciatic nerve pain is musculoskeletal without serious pathology (disc issue, muscle spasm, mild forms of degeneration in the back or postural related, are some examples). The main goals are to de-load the back, take pressure off the irritated nerve and strengthen structures in the low back and gluteal region. Modalities used in chiropractic to treat the cause of sciatica include:
If you have any issues regarding to low back pain or pain referral down the leg, I highly recommend visiting a health professional. If you are local to the Loftus area, health associates would be more than happy to help you with these issues. REFERENCES Valat, Jean-Pierre, et al. "Sciatica." Best practice & research Clinical rheumatology 24.2 (2010): 241-252. Koes, Bart W., M. W. Van Tulder, and W. C. Peul. "Diagnosis and treatment of sciatica." Bmj 334.7607 (2007): 1313-1317. Vroomen, Patrick CAJ, et al. "Conservative treatment of sciatica: a systematic review." Clinical Spine Surgery 13.6 (2000): 463-469. Ropper, Allan H., and Ross D. Zafonte. "Sciatica." New England Journal of Medicine 372.13 (2015): 1240-1248.  Joshua Hallinan Chiropractor Joshua is a very focused, dedicated and committed Practitioner. Growing up in Menai, he has been actively involved in AFL and Cricket and currently has a passion for Soccer and strength based training. He loves sport but more importantly, Joshua can see the major benefits of being active and moving regularly. Joshua's special interests are in sports injuries, musculoskeletal complaints and headaches. He enjoys helping relieve pain and alignments and supporting his patients to live optimally as well as instilling optimism and personal belief that moving well is important for a happy and health life. You know when you see Joshua you are in the hands of someone who continually strives to be ahead in his profession and will bring his expertise and skill to all of his patients. You'll find Josh has a friendly and enthusiastic personality, who is also very relaxed and down to earth to be with, leaving you feel comfortable and confident in his treatment and recommendations. Availability Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday - 3pm - 7pm Friday - 3pm - 7pm |
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