Ask Dr. Joe

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Will chiropractic care help my headaches?
In most cases yes. There are many different types of headaches( tension, migraine, cluster) caused by many different things( muscle tightness, jaw alignment, caffeine withdrawal), to name a few. The most common cause of headaches that I see in my office is caused by misalignments of the vertebra in the upper part of the neck. When the nerves are compressed from misaligned vertebra (subluxations), the body reacts by tightening the muscles in the area and causes pain to shoot upward into the head and sometimes behind the eyes. These types of headaches can possibly cause decreased movement in the neck and dizziness. If this is the cause, the chiropractic adjustment realigns the vertebra, decreases pressure off the nerve and releases the muscle tension. The result... Reduction or no headache and increased mobility to the neck.

Dr Joe, I suffer from fibromyalgia. I would like to try some exercises that may help me regain my muscle mass and help with my flexibility. When I do weight training it just leaves me in even more pain. Is there something you would recommend?
Fibromyalgia is a condition that has has a lot of different symptoms involved with it. It has been my experience that the symptoms and severity of those symptoms vary from patient to patient.  Sometimes too little or too much exercise may aggrevate the condition. It is my recommendation that you start with less stressful exercises like yoga or swimming. These exercises are great for flexibility and building muscle that may be helpful in getting the results you are looking for.

Dr Joe, I wanted to know if frequent headaches could be related to my arthritis. When I take regular pain medication it does not help. What can I do?
Constant headaches are not caused by arthritis. if the normal pain medication does not work then make try one with caffeine or drink something with caffeine. the headaches might be withdrawl headaches especially if you have switched to decaf coffee or tea or reduced the caffeine intake you are used to. Another suggestion might be ice. sometimes the nerves that run from the back of the neck to the back of your head get inflamed for a number of reasons. if the headaches persist or get severe, i recommend seeing a professional about it whether it be a chiropractor, your primary doctor or a neurologist to rule out more severe causes for the headaches.

Hey Dr Joe -- Please help... I am in my mid twenties and in decent shape. My joints in my upper and lower back as well as my shoulders are always stiff and snap all the time. Could noisy poppy joints be the sign of a problem?
This is a great question. yes this can be a sign of a more serious problem, like rheumatoid arthritis. See your physician or a rheumatologist for a workup which will include blood work. With that said, if you are an athlete and have had injuries to these areas in the past, then you may be suffering from joint instability due to improper rehabilitation after the injury. Very frequently we suffer a injury, whether in mild or severe, and let the pain go away in a day or two thinking there is nothing wrong. in fact, there could be something very small wrong, such as a mild sprain. Over time this small problem could lead to a larger problem, such as instability, which will cause laxity in the joint and that is when you get constant popping of the joints.

Dr Joe, I have heard great things about ART - Active Release Technique -- How do you use at your clinic, and who do you recommend use it?
Active Release Technique (ART) is a great tool used for a variety of conditions in my office from a tight upper trap muscle to a surgically repaired knee to carpal tunnel syndrome. ART is a specific myofascial release where we break up the adhesions between injured muscles and joints to promote faster healing and ability to regain range of motion faster. we use it every day on most of our patients.