Digital X-Rays for Chronic Headache Relief | Chiropractor in Cary, NC
Hey, it’s Dr. Kosterman with Kosterman Chiropractic in Cary, North Carolina.
Today we’re talking about headaches and why chiropractic care in our office specifically is very effective at getting on top of headaches.
If you’ve had headaches—and I’m guessing if you’re watching this video, you probably have—or maybe your significant other or somebody close to you has, then you know how much they can affect your life. Headaches can consume you. They can take up a lot of your mental bandwidth.
If you’ve ever had a headache during the day while trying to work, focus, read, or consume information, you know it’s hard to do anything else. The headache usually takes priority, and then you get frustrated with the headache itself.
The First Step: A Thorough Consultation
One of the biggest ways we address headaches is by sitting down and talking.
I think a lot of doctors forget to truly talk to their patients, but oftentimes, if we just listen, patients will give us all the answers we need.
We’re going to sit down in a quiet room and talk through:
- How long the headaches have been bothering you
- What type of headache it is
- Whether it feels like pressure, squeezing, or throbbing
- Whether there’s an aura
- If you experience nausea or vomiting
- Whether there was any trauma that initiated it
- And whether there are any triggers
The goal is to determine if our office is the right fit for you.
A Hands-On Chiropractic Examination
If we feel like chiropractic care is a good fit, we’ll move into a thorough examination.
I’m actually going to feel your spine, evaluate the muscles, and go hands-on. A lot of doctors don’t put their hands on patients anymore, but there’s valuable information to find there.
We’ll examine:
- The vertebrae
- The muscles and surrounding tissue
- Your movement patterns
- Areas of tension or restriction
We want all the information we can get so we can make the best decision possible about your care.
If it’s a good fit, we’ll create a plan to help you get better—and stay better.
Why We Use Digital X-Rays
After the consultation and examination, we often recommend digital X-rays.
Digital X-rays are a fast and effective way to look inside your body and identify:
- Compression on nerve tissue
- Distorted posture
- Structural abnormalities
- Fine details about what’s happening inside your spine
This gives us a much more complete picture of what may be contributing to your headaches.
Building a Long-Term Plan
After gathering all of the information, I’m going to sit down and really study it carefully.
If we believe we can help you, we’ll create a plan—not just to give temporary relief like a Tylenol—but to help you become stable, healthy, and functioning your best the majority of the time.
Chiropractic Adjustments for Headaches
Many headache treatment plans include chiropractic adjustments.
If we find something that needs to be adjusted to release pressure off the nerves, calm down the muscles, and restore balance to the nervous system, we’ll address it directly.
Stress, posture, and spinal alignment all play a major role in headaches and need to be corrected.
Therapeutic Exercises & Posture Correction
Another important part of care is a comprehensive therapeutic exercise program.
Some exercises are active, and some are passive. Some may involve using spinal molding foams to:
- Improve posture
- Bring the head back over the shoulders
- Support the lower back curve
- Restore muscle balance
Some muscles become too tight, while others become too weak, so we work to restore proper balance throughout the body.
Dietary Triggers & Food Sensitivities
Sometimes headaches are triggered by foods.
For some people it’s dairy. For others it may be grains—or even foods as unusual as pineapple.
That’s why we may recommend:
- A food diary
- Dietary modifications
- Food sensitivity testing
If needed, we can perform a blood prick food sensitivity test to gather more detailed information about what could be triggering your headaches.
Once we identify what’s causing the headaches, we can create a focused approach to calm things down and allow the body to heal naturally.
Over time:
- Headaches reduce
- Health restores
- And you’re able to function better throughout your day
If you need help, we’d be honored to help you.
Call us or walk through the door anytime.
