Chiropractor Irmo SC | Headaches In Children – Information And Treatment

Although adults are commonly thought of as those most likely to experiece headaches, it is not uncommon for children to experience headaches. According to the National Headache Foundation, 20% (10.3 million) of school-aged children in the U.S ages 5-17 experience chronic headaches. 15% of these are from tension headaches and 5% from migraines. Tension Headaches and Their Causes- Children who experience tension headaches feel moderate pain in the form of pressure around the head. The pain or pressure of episodic tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to the remainder of the day. However, chronic tension headaches seem to always be present. Children who experience chronic forms of tension headaches will experience aches and soreness. There are no hereditary factors in tension headaches, according to the National Headache Foundation. Stress, depression, and lack of rest are often causes of tension headaches. Many stressful situations and physiological issues can trigger tension headaches. Migraine Headaches are often Different for Children- When it comes to migraine headaches, children can experience pain on both sides of the head, as opposed to adults. The migraine is shorter in comparison to migraines in adults: children experience symptoms from one hour to a day, in comparison to up to four days in adults. Symptoms consist of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light and sound, and changes in attitude. An aura can also be experienced. Most children experience migraine headaches due to hereditary factors. Triggers include stress, noises, foods and beverages, and lights. Chiropractic Care as a Headache Solution- Many children can benefit from visiting a chiropractic health care provider. In many cases mainstream health care is not necessary. Children who are experiencing headaches can find comfort with methods employed by chiropractors. Diagnosis is First Step- The chiropractic health care provider will begin by diagnosing the underlying cause for headaches. Family history and physical examination will often be used in diagnosis. Your chiropractic doctor will use a variety of tests to diagnose the headaches. X-rays, laboratory tests and advanced studies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to diagnose the cause of the headaches. If needed, the chiropractor will refer you to another health care provider. Also, your chiropractor may ask you to keep a headache diary of your child’s headaches, which is often important in diagnosing and treating headaches. Many Types of Headache Treatment- For headaches that are caused by joints and muscles in the back and neck, your chiropractor will be able to use joint manipulation and mobilization of the neck. In addition, your chiropractor will be able to use stretching and strengthening exercises, which are effective with headaches that have this cause. Other forms of treatment such as massage and acupuncture are effective in treating certain types of headaches. For more serious causes of headaches, your chiropractor will be able to help you find a headache specialist or proper health care provider. Headache Prevention- While treatment offers a complete recovery, recurrence is high. However, your chiropractor will be able to help prevent further headaches for your child. With a wellness plan your child can achieve freedom from his/her headaches. healthsourceofirmo.com

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Headache Help Irmo SC | How To Prevent Your Neck Pain

There is a reason for the saying “a pain in my neck”.  Neck pain is a very real, very irritating issue that many people deal with on a daily basis.  While it is difficult to deal with, it isn’t necessarily hard to prevent.  There are some fairly simple and easy steps you can take to avoid making your neck pain worse, or better yet, prevent it all together.

Change Positions

If you find that your neck pain is caused by sleeping wrong, you can change the positions that your sleeping in. This may also mean that you’ll need a different mattress that allows for better overall support, so that you are not sleeping in the same position constantly. You may also need to get a new pillow so that your neck is better supported.

Take Computer Breaks

Working at a computer all day can be a major cause of neck pain, and you probably will need to take breaks often to avoid the pain.  When working at a computer monitor, you tend to sit the same way for several hours at a time, causing the pain.  Being able to take frequent breaks to stretch or move your neck will help to avoid the pain.

Back Pain Medication

Oftentimes, for minor neck pain, many people will opt for medications.  These options can be viable if you don’t mind taking them.  There are many over the counter pain medications that can help ease the pain.  Your doctor may also suggest some prescription medications for minor and less severe cases of neck pain. 

While many people do well with these medications, many people that don’t feel comfortable taking drugs to ease minor pain.  If you happen to fall into the latter category, do not ever be afraid to voice this to your physician.  They will have other options available to you.

See a Chiropractor

A chiropractor may be able to help you deal with your neck pain. They can offer treatments that will help you to have better movement and also to not have so much pain. They also may be able to help you find things that you can do at home that will help with your neck pain. Sometimes all it takes is one or two visits to really make a difference.  A chiropractor may also want to suggest specific exercises that can help to alleviate the neck pain.

Neck pain is something that everyone can deal with if they know what to do. Sometimes changing something just as small as a pillow can make a big difference in your overall feelings. Also getting up and moving around to make a person feel all that much better. If none of these are working for you, you may decide they want to see a doctor and get their advice. This is a great option to help you understand your pain and treat it the best you can. You may also decide that more extreme options are going to be right for you. 

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Headache Help Irmo SC | The 5 Real Reasons We Experience Neck Pain

Everybody experiences neck pain at some point in their life and often times they have no idea why. It is very common. You ask someone what happened to his or her neck and he or she will respond, “I don’t know. I was just standing there and bam! My neck went out.” Or they will say something like, “I don’t know I just woke up this way.”

Here we go. The five real reasons why we experience neck pain without even realizing we are hurting ourselves.

#1 Poor Posture
This is it guys and gals. Our necks support our big fat heads and if we don’t stand straight, then we are going to hurt our necks. Look at yourself. Does your neck stick out? Do you slump over? Do your shoulders roll forward?

Get a friend to help you check. Make sure you are standing straight and tall. Check your sitting position too, especially at the computer. We do not want anybody leaning too close to his or her laptop.

#2 Misalignments in the Spine
This kind of goes with bad posture but it is deeper down. When the spine is misaligned, it puts pressure on the nerves causing all kinds of pain. Only a chiropractor can tell you if this is a problem, so I recommend seeing one to find out.

You can find one that offers same day appointments and friendly service. Chiropractors also tell people when there is nothing wrong. So you are good there, too.

#3 Sleeping on the Belly
While sleeping on your belly may be comfortable for the rest of you, it wreaks havoc on the neck and spine. Think about it people. Your poor little neck is turned at a whopping ninety-degree angle here. Either that or you are smothering yourself in a pillow.

When you wake up, your neck has been turned at a weird position all night long. It needs a good massage just to get back to normal. Give it a rest and sleep on your back or side with a good supportive pillow.

#4 Stress in the Neck
Surprise! Surprise! People carry stress in the neck. I know this is shocking to many people but when you get stressed out it causes neck pain. Tension builds up in the neck and shoulders and neck pain occurs.

Since eliminating stress is not an option, there are some things you can do about it. Some simple shoulder rolls will relieve some of the unwanted tension along with a good massage.

A chiropractor offers both massage techniques and realignment techniques to keep everything in place. In fact, regular visits to the chiropractor have proven effective in the reduction of chronic tension headaches.

#5 Lack of Neck Stretches Before Activity
I know you are thinking I must be crazy. Who stretches their neck?  But if you watch athletes, you will see them stretch their neck side to side before competition. I know we are not professional athletes but simple stretching of the neck does not hurt us either.

When we are working on a computer for long stretches of time, we could use a good stretch. When we feel tension building up, a stretch would be a good thing. Even upon waking up in the morning, stretching our necks out would not hurt us one bit. How does the saying go? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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