Headaches. Need I say more?
(and, no, this little hedgehog has nothing to do with today’s post but s/he’s the headache antidote because, seriously, is there anything cuter?!)
….and back to the show…I’ve had wicked headaches in the past, and I know that most people experience some level of head tension or pain throughout the week/s, months, years.
I would say a good 50% of my patients have some form of head pain that they write off as being ‘normal’, because ‘hey, everyone gets them, so why shouldn’t I?’ or ‘I just live with it’ or ‘I’ve just had them for so long, I’m just used to it’.
I’m going back to my broken-record response to all of you: No pain is normal.
No matter what’s happening in your life, pain is your body’s engine light going on to let you know something’s not right. It’s that ‘rock-in-your-shoe’ response, letting you know that there’s trouble and this is your body’s cry for help.
While most of the world takes an anti-inflammatory or pain killer or muscle relaxer to numb the pain for awhile, as most of you know, once that wears off, the pain comes back. I ask my patients this: “If you have a rock in your shoe, would you take a muscle relaxer to solve the problem?”. Of course, everyone thinks that’s silly because, of course, you’re going to stop and take the rock out to alleviate the pain and discomfort.
I know you know that, anytime we take anti-inflammatories or the like, it’s masking the pain cycle in the nervous system so the brain and body don’t perceive the pain. This can be helpful for a short-term option, but is this really a way to live?
In my mind, if you’re taking the time to read my emails, it’s because you’ve got a higher standard for yourself and the way you want to live life.
I’m focusing on headaches in this email because they’re so prevalent and can have several possible contributing factors:
1. Muscle tension
2. Dehydration (this is an easy one to ‘fix’. Just drink about 75 oz of water a day)
3. Food allerigies
4. Environmental allergies
5. Using electronics and looking forward and down
6. Eye strain
7. Poor sleep posture
8. Stress and tension
9. Past history of falls or whiplash
10. Fatigue or adrenal fatigue
11. Liver congestion or toxicity
12. Vertebral subluxation and/or cranial bone tension
….And there are lots of other reasons for headaches that can be more severe than this and please check with your healthcare practitioner if you have lingering and/or severe symptoms.
What I work through, with all of my patients, is finding the contributing factors in headaches. I always check to make sure people are drinking plenty of water, because most people aren’t and this is one of the easiest and budget-friendly remedies.
When people come in for adjustments and craniosacral work, I always work with removing tension from the spine and restore the spinal fluid that moves around the spine and brain. Think of the spinal fluid as a water bed for your spine and brain. When the canal around your brain or spinal cord is compressed, that fluid isn’t able to move in its’ natural flow and backs up. I liken it to putting your foot on a water hose.
If you or someone you care about is suffering with headaches, please know that you don’t need to suffer. There are so many options to try. And like I share with all of my patients, healing is a process. Not every problem has just one solution. I approach every health challenge like it’s a mystery and we have to eliminate suspects and find contributing factors for each unique case. And this takes time and patience to work through.
Whether you’re here, locally in New Mexico, or out in the world, I have the ability to work with you. In person, I can offer body work and lifestyle support. If you’re out in the world, I offer telehealth visits.
To make your appointments please click here.
I love, love, love gettting people to a higher state of health and vitality and I look forward to working with you and meeting your health care goals!
As we move into the holiday season, I find that quiet and silent joy in the earth, nature, the stillness and I’m grateful.
I’m grateful for my family, my work, my friends, my breath, and my health. I’m grateful that I have you in my network to be able to fulfill my love of writing and sharing what little bit I know so that we can continue to uplift ourselves and the world around us.
And remember, gratitude is the highest form of healing. If you can take just 5 minutes a day to start your list of things your grateful for, I guarantee your heart will open and you’re setting yourself up for a smile.
In healing and gratitude.
Dr. Arjan
