An Interview about America’s Most Common Health Complaint
Orlando Area Clinic Offers
Five-step Headache Rescue Plan
Drugs and Aspirin Don’t Treat the Causes of Headache Pain,
Says Dr. Channing Bolick, D.C., founder of the Bolick Clinic
Do you have a splitting headache?If so, you’re not alone.
According to recent reports, there are an estimated 50 million chronic headache sufferers in America.Headaches account for more than 80 million doctor visits, 175 million lost work days per year, and 4 billion dollars in over-the-counter medication sales.
“Headaches are more common than the common cold,” says Dr. Channing Bolick, of the Bolick Clinic in Maitland, Florida. “Chronic headache pain can severely disrupt one’s personal and professional lives, but the good news is that most headaches can be successfully treated without resorting to aspirin, drugs, or surgery.”
Dr. Bolick, an expert in the treatment of headaches, says 90 percent of headaches fall within three categories:
“Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches,” says Dr. Bolick.“Victims will suffer from mild to moderate pain that s concentrated on both sides of the head.These headaches can be caused by stress, diet, posture and spinal misalignment possibly from a minor injury,” says Dr. Bolick.
“Migraine headaches occur only periodically and occur in fewer people,” says Dr. Bolick. “Migraines are characterized by the throbbing pain, usually on just one side of the head. These headaches afflict more women than men, and cause a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and changes in vision. Migraines can be caused by stress, medications, food allergies, spinal misalignments, and anxiety.”
“Trauma–related headaches are due to abnormalities in the neck, often as a result of injury,” says Dr. Bolick.“Motorcycle Accidents Statistics imply that the injury doesn’t need to be an accident… even a ball hitting your head can lead to a misalignment in the neck which then causes headaches.”
Dr. Bolick says even without an incident of physical trauma, bones in the spine and neck can very gradually become misaligned. That is why his first reaction whenever a patient complains of headache is to check the patient’s neck and spinal alignment.
Dr. Bolick’s Headache Rescue Plan
1. A series of simple, non-invasive tests will reveal whether bones in the spine or neck have moved out of place and are irritating nerves, constricting blood flow, or causing muscles to tense.
2.A chiropractic adjustment to return alignment of vertebrae in neck and spine.
3.Dietary change emphasizing whole, unprocessed foods.Eliminate sugar and food additives such as aspartame, MSG, nitrates, and sulfates.Avoid foods and products known to trigger allergies like alcohol, tobacco, chocolate, wheat, cheese, milk, nuts and caffeine.Drink plenty of pure water.
4.Get the proper amount of sleep.
5.Exercise at least four times per week, including special exercises to stretch neck and shoulder muscles.
“Being able to manipulate the spine into correct alignment allows us to successfully treat headache pain without drugs or surgery in many patients, so there is definitely hope for most suffering with headache pain,” says Dr. Bolick.
