Hormonal imbalances are puzzling. So much so if they’re causing your headaches and migraines. Hormonal imbalances are very common cause of headaches. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about migraines, tension headaches, or cluster headaches. There’s a ton of different types of headaches, but in most headaches, hormonal imbalances are something that we want to consider, especially in migraine headaches.

First of all, your hormonal system is pretty complex. There’s a bunch of structures called glands throughout your body, and some of those glands, actually secrete something called a hormone. A hormone is just a messenger, right? It’s a messenger that travels through your bloodstream and tells different aspects of your body to do different things.

Let’s talk about some of those glands and their respective hormones and how imbalances in those hormones can cause different type of headaches.

Click here to schedule a consult with Dr. St Jean to discover how you can eliminate your migraines and recover your health now!

Pituitary imbalance

Your pituitary gland is kind of like the master. It’s the head honcho when it comes to your hormonal system. It sits right at the base of your brain and it’s interacting with your hypothalamus on a second-by-second basis. It’s a really important area.

When we have imbalances in the pituitary gland and in the hormones that it secretes, it can cause migraine. Imbalances can happen in the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), LH (luteinizing hormone), prolactin, ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone – a hormone that travels from the pituitary gland all the way down into your adrenals), and TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone – a hormone that travels from pituitary gland down to your thyroid). Any of these hormones, when they’re imbalanced, can trigger headaches specially prolactin.

We can measure these things in many different ways. We want to look at them and make sure that they’re not imbalance – like, there’s not too much of them or there’s not too little of them. Because those type of things can again lead to headaches. Now, it’s important for you to not just look at this list of levels and hormones and run to your primary and say, “Can you test this and make sure they’re normal?” Different practitioners used different types of test and they also use different types of references ranges. Those are two really important things. All tests are not made the same and references ranges are not made the same.

Functional medicine to treat your headache or migraine

You’re going to want to find someone that practices functional medicine like myself. Whether you come in and work with myself directly, or we work on the phone, we can test these levels. Actually, we can do it right with the right reference ranges to make sure we’re actually picking up imbalances. All too often, unless your primary is integrative-medicine or functional medicine-minded, they’re going to find these levels to be normal. You might just hit a dead end there. But if any of these hormones from the pituitary are imbalanced, that can be triggering and causing your headaches and your migraines. You may want to keep that in mind. If you want to work with myself and want to go to the root cause of your migraine or headaches, book your intro consult today at Unity Chiropractic Center in Lincoln Park, Chicago: http://www.thechicagochiropractor.com/wellness-center/.

Thyroid imbalance

Most of us are familiar with the thyroid gland, we’ve heard of it. There are so many people that are affected by thyroid dysfunction specially hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid gland is sluggish and its kind of lazy. In that regard, the hormones are imbalanced, specifically T3, T4, and calcitonin. All of these different hormone levels we want to check. We want to make sure everything is balance. If it is imbalance, then we want to ask the question, why is it imbalance, why are we having hypothyroidism, why are we having hyperthyroidism?

When we talk about hypothyroidism in migraine patients or headache patients, 80% (literally 8 out of 10) of patients walking in the door here and other facilities, actually have an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Let me tell you, if you have serious headaches or migraines and you have Hashimoto’s, the thyroid gland and its hormones are playing a role in the cause of your headaches. You’re not going to get rid of your headaches until you get rid of Hashimoto’s or the hypothyroidism.

In general, even students that are still in medical school, they’re taught that when you see a hypothyroid patient, one of the hallmark sign is headaches. It is taught in that way – it is seen in the clinic. These types of hormones need to be evaluated to see if they’re imbalanced because they could be causing your headaches and migraines. You want to rule that out.

Adrenal imbalance

Your adrenal glands secrete a ton of different hormone, but the one of relevance specifically is cortisol. Cortisol is released in response to stress. Any type of stress – physical, chemical, mental/emotional – you’re going to be releasing cortisol. Anything that fatigues the adrenal glands could imbalance the levels of hormones produced. Then it’s usually more of an indirect affect on headaches.

For instance, if you’re taking headache medication, say your popping some ibuprofen or Advil, and you’re having resistance as you’re not noticing that you’re headache pain is going down, it is resistant to medication treatment, you might want to think about adrenals. Adrenal fatigue might be the culprit of that.

If you’re adrenal glands are fatigue, that means that the hormones they’re producing and secreting are also imbalanced. When those imbalances are occurring, your day to day cycle/daily rhythm which is cortisol and melatonin are affected. Melatonin puts you to sleep. Cortisol wakes you up. When that cycle is screwed up or imbalance, it is impossible for you to have a normal monthly rhythm or cycle. This again in an indirect way adrenal dysfunction can cause headaches.

Female hormone spikes cause headache

Adrenal dysfunction can throw off the female hormones and cause female hormone imbalances. Female hormone imbalances are very obviously link to headaches. They can easily cause headache. Progesterone and estrogen are your female sex hormones, those are what make up your monthly cycle. When these are imbalanced because of a whole bunch of different reasons, that can trigger headaches.

It could be something as simple as a birth control pill or hormone replacement, stress, or blood sugar imbalances via the adrenal throwing off the female hormones.

We should see in the cycle is estrogen kind of ebbs and flows. You should see a spike in estrogen toward the beginning of your cycle and then it should start to dip down toward the end. When we look at these panels, when women come in and they have headaches and we’re suspecting may be female hormone imbalances are one of the causes. We’ll see a ton of spikes of estrogen. We won’t see that nice curve in the beginning and then it going down. We’ll just see estrogen spiking throughout the entire cycle. And we know right off the bat, okay this is definitely a component and one of the causes of their headaches. Once we treat that and fix it then the headaches begin to go away.

Stop Hormone Imbalance! Stop Headaches!

In general, any types of imbalances in these areas of the hormonal system are going to be relevant in the treatment of headaches and migraines. You’ll definitely want to make sure hormonal imbalance isn’t playing a role because if you miss this it will be tough to get better. There’s a wealth of information on hormone imbalance on my functional medicine site: www.drstjean.com. Check out this site if you want more details on female hormone imbalances, adrenal imbalances, thyroid imbalances, etc.

Have you been in a car accident in San Diego, CA? There is huge misconception that the injuries caused by a car accident are always immediately noticeable or at least recognized in the first few weeks following the incident. In reality, many of the injuries that occur during an automobile collision can take years to manifest and become problematic. Even car accidents that occur at speeds as low as 10 mph are substantial enough to cause damage to the delicate musculoskeletal system. While these injuries may be minor at their onset, they often develop into serious problems and conditions down the road.

The reason that this occurs is that typically the stress involved with an accident distracts people from being concerned about their own health. Understandably, car accident victims are usually more worried about the damage to their vehicles and the ensuing bills, rather than their own safety. The results of this confusion can have catastrophic consequences for the body. The initially unnoticeable damage sustained by the body, commonly progresses into a life long journey of pain and continual treatment. Sadly, once these injuries are noticed people often fail to attribute it to the accident and even if they do, the compensation provided by their insurance or wrongful party is not available. Therefore, if you have been involved in an auto accident in San Diego, CA, it is extremely important that you contact our Biophysics Chiropractic as soon as possible to schedule a complete examination.

Do I Need a Chiropractor?

The number of injuries that can occur following a car collision are endless. It is important to remember that the type of injury is not always related to the mechanism of the crash. Some of the worst injuries have resulted from some of the most minor accidents. So do I need a chiropractor? Our doctors at Biophysics Chiropractic have had patients present with concussions, fractures, muscle stiffness, headaches, blurry vision, dizziness, sprains, strains, back and neck injuries following some of the most minimal of accidents. The one thing that all of these injuries have in common is that they involve the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractors are known as one of the most highly trained health care professionals for the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. You wouldn’t visit a dermatologist for the treatment of a stroke would you? This is why so many people in the greater San Diego, CA area have chosen Biophysics Chiropractic for the treatment of their car accident injuries.

Many people believe that the driver of the vehicle or the person at fault is the most likely to be injured during an automobile collision. The truth is that all of the people in the vehicle may be hurt, regardless of where the point of impact occurred. Just because the person has no signs of visible trauma, such as fractures and bleeding, don’t underestimate the injuries that they may have sustained. Imagine the power that is required to produce a dent in a car or shatter the glass. Now realize that a large portion of that power is being absorbed by all of the people in the vehicle. With this in mind, it is easier to see why so many injuries can occur in car collisions.

As mentioned earlier in the article, the stress created by an automobile accident can be immense. These high levels of stress cause abnormally large amounts of stress hormones to be released, many of them with pain relieving properties. These hormone levels don’t return to normal immediately following the accident, but instead can stay elevated for months. It’s no wonder then why so many injuries and pain is often overlooked in the initial stages following the accident. Our chiropractors at Biophysics Chiropractic are one of the most highly trained professionals for discovering these hard to detect injuries. If necessary, x-rays or MRI studies will be used in combination with a complete history, physical, neurological, and orthopedic examination to make sure that no areas are missed. If the injury discovered is beyond our scope of treatment, our office is connected with other local health care facilities so that the most appropriate referral can be made. Our Biophysics Chiropractic is also trained in properly submitting insurance claims so that you can concentrate on your healing. So if you or someone you know has been involved in an accident, please schedule a consultation with our San Diego, CA office today.

Has chronic knee pain sidelined your morning runs? Are sore muscles keeping your off the golf course? If you have sustained a sports injury, it may seem like your only treatment options are medication or surgery. We believe that there is a natural healing alternative way. After an injury occurs, the rehabilitation process is essential to helping the body heal. Our Los Gatos chiropractor Dr. McGrain can help you recover from a sports injury without prescription painkillers or invasive surgery. Our integrated approach to sports medicine combines chiropractic care with physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises to help our patients heal. Has chronicsidelined your morning runs? Arekeeping your off the golf course? If you have sustained a, it may seem like your only treatment options are medication or surgery. We believe that there is a natural healing alternative way. After an injury occurs, the rehabilitation process is essential to helping the body heal. Our Los Gatos chiropractor Dr. McGrain can help you recover from awithout prescription painkillers or invasive surgery. Our integrated approach to sports medicine combines chiropractic care with physiotherapy and rehabilitation exercises to help our patients heal.

Treat Knee Pain, Leg Pain and Back Pain the Natural Way

Chronic knee and ankle pain are two of the most common sports injuries. Any runner knows just how painful these injuries can be. Knee pain is caused by damage to the tendons, ligaments or the bursea (a fluid-filled sac surrounding the knee). Rolling or twisting the foot in an unnatural direction can cause ankle sprains. Our treatment for these conditions is two-fold. First, we identify the underlying cause for the injury. Then, we treat sore muscles and chronic pain by reducing swelling and inflammation.

Many of our patients are surprised to learn that a misalignment in the spine may by triggering an improper movement while running. This motion, in turn, leads to swelling and chronic pain. A misalignment may also be a contributing cause for a repetitive motion injury such as tennis or golf elbow. Chiropractic adjustments can help restore proper alignment to the spine. Physiotherapy and corrective exercises help reduce swelling and inflammation, which aggravates knee and ankle pain, as well as the tendons in the elbow. Our integrated approach corrects the cause for injury while also relieving leg pain, knee pain and elbow pain.

Back, neck and shoulder pain are common injuries affecting athletes. A pinched muscle or nerve may be triggering this pain. Falling while running, being hit while playing contact sports, or an accidental slip and fall may be the cause for this pain. This causes a misalignment of the spine. If a herniated disc compresses a nearby nerve, individuals may experience radiating or numbing pain sensations in the neck, lower back, or shoulders.

Chiropractic adjustments are essential to treating back, neck and shoulder pain. Back pain will not simply get better on its own. In fact, if you continue to play sports, your back pain may worsen as you further aggravate the injury. Spinal adjustments from our chiropractor treat the underlying injury and provide long-lasting pain relief.

After a sports injury, it’s natural to worry that a return to physical activity could further injure the body. Dr. McGrain works closely with each patient to create a custom treatment program that not only treats the injury, but also prepares the patient to live an active lifestyle. We relieve pain and optimize athletic performance.

Have you experienced an auto accident injury that has left you with discomfort and pain? Our Los Gatos chiropractor of McGrain Chiropractic understands how to pave the way to healing from trauma of neck pain, whiplash and back pain from an auto accident injury. Whether your injury is acute or chronic, chiropractic is an effective, dynamic, long-lasting intervention to help you be pain free.

Although you may not be experiencing pain or discomfort, the occurrence of sudden movement can cause trauma to the neck, back, skull and associated structures resulting in an auto accident injury. Sometimes the sensations of pain or discomfort do not become realized until days or even weeks after the auto accident injury has occurred. The optimal time to see our chiropractor is directly after you have experienced an auto accident to prevent damage to tissues and bone from setting in.

How Chiropractic Works to Improve Health After an Auto Accident Injury

When an accident occurs, there are many circumstances that can lead to injury. In some instances, because seatbelts keep at least part of the body semi-stationary and airbags deploy, a myriad or combination of injuries often take place.

There are many types of injuries that can occur as a result of an auto accident such as neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain and so on. Many patients report experiencing numbness and tingling, headaches, neck spasms, back spasms, frozen shoulder, lack of range of motion or generalized whole-body discomfort and soreness. When force is applied to the neck and whiplash occurs, muscles that are regularly engaged to support the skull, spinal column and associated structures are quickly stretched beyond normal ranges of motion. When spinal supports are compromised, not only do the vertebrae become bruised, subluxated and damaged overall, but so do the associated tendons and ligaments.

At your visit, our chiropractor will complete a thorough intake to discover how your auto accident has impacted your overall health. Dr. McGrain will ask questions about the specific type of impact, if you experienced whiplash, whether you were thrown from the car, if the airbags were deployed or if the car was hit by another car. We will also inquire about general health to understand what your exercise routines and daily habits are like to determine the extent of your auto accident injury.

Once we have attained these details, a comprehensive chiropractic plan will be developed for your individual needs. At McGrain Chiropractic, we use a combination of spinal decompression, spinal manipulation, therapeutic massage, nutritional therapy and therapeutic exercises for providing relief and rehabilitation. Spinal decompression, manipulation and massage assist in removing subluxation, restoring postural alignment, improving range of motion and creating enhanced nervous system communication. This means a more pain free you to improve range of motion and well-being.

Your neck is a complicated structure, and there are a variety of common injuries it is susceptible to. They can be mild or they can be severe, but they’re all a pain in the neck! Here’s a list of some of the more common neck injuries.

Kink in the Neck

You know the drill for this one. You go to bed and wake up with a little “crick” in your neck after sleeping in an awkward position. They can also be from working on the computer for a long time or sudden movements of your neck. No doctor or chiropractor is every going to give you an official diagnosis of a “kink in the neck”. Usually the discomfort you feel is due to muscle spasm, trigger points or arthritis, and maybe even a disc problem. If the pain lasts longer than a week you should see a chiropractor about it.

Muscle Strain

A strain is an injury to muscles that move the spine. They can happen in the neck, but more often happen in the lower back. Bending over at the waist when lifting a heavy object is the most common way to cause a muscle strain. The symptoms for this include muscle spasm, reduced flexibility and pain. If this type of pain lasts longer than a week or interrupts your usual activities, see your chiropractor.

Neck Sprain

Sprains are injuries to ligaments, which are the bands of connective tissue that hold your bones together. These types of injuries can be caused by falls or sudden twists that overload or overstretch the joint. Repeated stress to the joint can also cause a sprain. If you get a sprain you will have swelling, reduced flexibility and pain. A sprain can mild, moderate or severe. If you think that you or someone you come into contact with has a neck sprain it can be very serious. Mild and moderate sprains may not need to be checked out by a chiropractor or other medical professional, but severe sprain absolutely requires it.

Whiplash

An injury in which your head is thrown back and then quickly forward, like in an automobile accident, can cause whiplash. This even may result in a strain or sprain of your neck, but it can also damage discs and joints, which may then irritate nerve roots and even the spinal cord itself. If you have a whiplash injury, see your chiropractor as soon as symptoms begin, which can be a couple days after the incident that caused the injury.

Herniated Disc

If you think of your discs in your back like jelly donuts, when a disc herniates all the jelly comes out. If the “jelly” lands on a nerve root this can cause some serious pain, though you may also feel weakness, numbness or pins and needles down your arm.

If you’re new to the world of chiropractics, one of the biggest questions you may have is how to select the best chiropractor. Have no fear! There’s a lot to know about the world of chiropractic care, but it’s not that difficult to decide what will best fit your needs. Read on to find out how you can find the right chiropractor for you!

Where to Start

The best place to start is by asking your primary care physician. You may not realize that medical doctors and doctors of chiropractic often work in tandem, in order to provide the best care to patients as possible, so you primary care doctor should be able to recommend someone competent and trustworthy.

Asking friends, co-workers and neighbors is also a great place to start. With so many locations to choose from, I’m sure that more than one acquaintance or friend has been to the Joint and can tell you how fabulous the doctors are! Make sure to take advice from others with a grain of salt, though. At the end of the day you have to find someone that you are comfortable with who will meet your specific needs.

Interview

It is a perfectly acceptable thing to call up a chiropractic office and ask for an appointment just to meet and “interview” your potential chiropractor. You can also do this by phone if you‘re comfortable with it. This way you can learn more about the chiropractor, the techniques they employ and about the clinic at large. Feeling comfortable is going to very important as you go forward, so make sure to go with a chiropractor where you feel comfortable with their practice and location.

Questions you may want to consider asking a potential chiropractor are what their specialty, if any, may be, and how many years they have been practicing. You’ll want to note if you feel they are courteous and if they answer any questions you may have fully and completely. Don’t be shy – ask whatever you need in order to get what you want. Make sure to ask about the techniques they use too!

Technique

While the chiropractic philosophy is shared by chiropractors, there are still different techniques they may use or specialize in that you will want to research and ask about. Some doctors perform joint manipulation only with their hands while others use instruments as well. Also, some chiropractors prefer firm manipulation while others may have a softer touch. Finding the right chiropractor for you is going to be about details like this.

The Joint is a great place to start finding out more about chiropractic. The staff and doctors are here to help you and want you to have the best experience you can. So call today and find out more about what our chiropractors have to offer!