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Posture is a significant factor to consider when you experience regular headaches. Poor posture is easily learned and hard for the muscles to forget: it is an unconscious positioning of the body that people neglect until it starts to cause problems in their life. There are myriad factors fighting to hold us back from healthy posture: lifestyles and modern jobs which involve or require long hours concentrating in front of a screen, commuting for hours with inadequate seating, and of course there is always gravity. But posture is in your control, and if you are suffering from persistent headaches, it is always worth considering as a cause that can be corrected.

Posture is, at the very least, a good place to start. Consider the slouch: you have been typing at the computer for hours, ignoring your body’s plea for a break and a stretch; sorry spine, I am concentrating too hard. It just feels right for the head to lean forward, following the chin, bringing you ever closer to the screen. But now consider that the weight of the head (comparable to a bowling ball) is now creating strain to the shoulder and neck muscles. The longer you sit this way, the greater the strain becomes until neck spasms start to refer pain into your head, creating the mystery headache. If you have a moment of consciousness and catch yourself in the act, do something about it!

If you have the time, take a break: walk around and allow your muscles to loosen up. When you resume sitting, keep these principles in mind: Feet flat and firm on the ground, ears over shoulders, which are relaxed, and shoulders over hips, with the stomach slightly tucked. This keeps your head balanced without causing strain to the neck and shoulder muscles.

Making little changes is the best way to increase overall well being. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we are dedicated to giving you the best possible chance at living pain free. We treat the daily wear and tear on your spine and offer recommendations for simple lifestyle changes that can open your eyes to a whole world of health. Call our office in Sacramento today at (916) 457-8825 to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Raymond Espinosa, D.C. 

Tension headaches are bad news. We blame them on everything: work, play, poor nutrition, too much television, not enough activity; these are all valid reasons. But one cause that fewer people consider is that tension headaches can be caused by musculoskeletal abnormalities and in particular, misalignment of the spine. Tension is defined as the state of being stretched tight: apply this definition to the muscles in the shoulders, back and neck and you can see how incessant tightness can create pain.

 It is normal for our muscles to contract and tighten as a response to daily stressors: anger, irritation, anxiety and fatigue. But when this tension becomes chronic and unrelenting, the skeletal system changes its overall posture to compensate, creating even more muscular strain and spinal misalignment. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we see the damage done by spinal misalignment on a daily basis; pressure on the spinal nerves interferes with functioning of the nervous system and creates problematic pain, including headaches.

Our treatment provides gentle adjustments that return the spine to proper alignment. The shoulders and neck are particular areas of focus when it comes to tension headaches. Massage therapy and trigger point treatments can relieve muscular tension and heal damaged tissues. If you are in need of relief from tension headaches, call our office to see how we can help. We can be reached at (916) 457-8825 or e-mail us at espinosachiropractic@yahoo.com

When suffering from excruciating, persistent headaches, a natural reaction is to look for relief from the pain. This leads many people to take medication to mask the pain, leaving the underlying cause unaddressed. People live for years with what they call normal headaches. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, “Just a normal headache,” is not terminology that we are ready to accept. Regular headaches are not normal! But they can be treated effectively without the use of drugs, if their underlying cause is effectively identified. The neck is a common place of origin for headaches.

The neck is a sensitive structure: the cervical region is full of nerves that will refer pain to the brain if they are pressurized. Poor posture while staring at a computer screen for hours can cause the neck to fall out of alignment as effectively as a car accident. If the source of your headache pain is misalignment of the cervical vertebrae, chiropractic care is a very effective treatment. By restoring the neck to proper alignment through spinal adjustment, we relieve pressure on the nerves and restore a full range of motion.  We can help you institute stretches and exercises, both of which are effective tools in strengthening and rehabilitation. We offer counseling on posture and workplace ergonomics that will help maintain a healthy neck. 

Do you feel left out in the cold or lacking the knowledge to fight back against your headaches? At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, we are experts at identifying the roots of headache pain, and we want to share our expertise with you. You cannot enjoy an optimal quality of life while suffering from chronic headaches. Call our office in Sacramento at (916) 457-8825 or e-mail us at espinosachiropractic@yahoo.com to schedule an appointment so we can solve your headache pain as soon as possible. 

The spinal cord is your body’s main thoroughfare: a conduit that carries information from the brain to the rest of the body and back. It is how your brain influences limbs to move and how the rest of your body transmits sensation to the brain. It contains motor and sensory nerves that serve every part of the body and all major organs. It is the base unit of your skeleton and an inexorable member of the nervous system. At Espinosa Family Chiropractic, the maintenance and protection of the spine and its network of ligaments, muscles, and fibers that provide it with support, are our primary responsibility.

As powerful and complex as our spines are, there are many things that can go wrong. Every day motions compound over time to cause soft-tissue damage and muscle strain. Partial misalignments of the spine, known as subluxations, put pressure on the associated nerves, causing pain that ranges from dull and aching to sharp and shooting.  We treat these conditions with gentle, non-invasive adjustments that keep the spine aligned and the nerves free of pressure.

In the same way that your teeth need regular servicing, so does your spine: to keep it in alignment, keeping nerves free of impediment, and to repair tissues that suffer from normal wear and tear. If you are in the Sacramento area, we invite you to come see how our expertise and experience can benefit your overall health. Call us today at (916) 457-8825 or e-mail us at espinosachiropractic@yahoo.com. 

– Raymond W. Espinosa D.C.