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There are many causes and factors that may trigger a migraine. They are amazingly diverse and varied between each individual. Dietary triggers such as chocolate, orange juice, caffeine, MSG and food preservatives are frequently involved. Increased mental and emotional stresses are well known to be a major cause. Physical stresses such as muscle spasms or intense physical exertion can also trigger migraines. The good news is that Dr. Blackford at Churchill Chiropractic can help.

Migraine is a term long associated with severe and in some instances, disabling head pain. The word itself literally translates to ‘half the head’ because of its common distribution of pain. While this is true, it is not uncommon to see pain over the entire head or changing sides as the symptoms progress. Migraines are characterized by severe throbbing pain that is often accompanied by bright light, loud noises, sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. This is thought to result because of the changes in blood supply to the brain. The changes occur firstly as a decrease of blood to the brain, which can cause flashing spots in front of the eyes, a changed sense of smell, or dizziness. The intensity or duration of these symptoms can vary dramatically.  Intense spasms of the head, neck and face muscles are also not unusual and can further contribute to migraine pain.

The human body’s ability to cope with all of these factors relies on a correctly functioning central nervous system to regulate it. Migraines are individual evidence that the human body is not able to properly manage its internal environment. At Churchill Chiropractic we focus on removing any interference that obstructs the central nervous system from doing its job. Such treatment would include a chiropractic adjustment, Trigger Point Therapy, Diathermy Therapy or a combination of all three.

Many people think that Chiropractic is only for your back. This misconception is easily understood; after all, chiropractors do work primarily on your back. However, chiropractic is about affecting the nervous system, and the way this is done is by adjusting the spine.

Your body is controlled by three distinct nervous systems - the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and autonomic nervous system (which is further divided into the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system). All 3 parts of the nervous system must be balanced so that they can operate in unity and create a truly healthy body.

Chiropractic is great for low back and neck pain, however it works great for many ‘non back’ problems. Spinal joint fixation (subluxation) results in nerve irritation. This nervous irritation (known as facilitation) leads to exaggerated activity of the nerve, resulting in muscular tension, postural asymmetries, and limited and painful motion. Other problems include chronic hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system producing a variety of syndromes.

Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If a subluxation causes a nerve to become irritated, then wherever that nerve goes, that part of the body will also function in an irritated and limited manner. This basic premise has made, and even the AMA admits that, Chiropractic is the number one Alternative Healthcare System in the United States.

The following chart shows how every organ in the body is supplied by nerves, and the majority of them, though not all, come via the spine.

Churchill Chiropractic of Schaumburg enjoys a large success rate with patients who respond well to manipulations and muscle stretching. We have patients who come in to our office who complain about their painful and stiff shoulder. 

Painful shoulder conditions that limit movement are common, and are caused by problems with the shoulder joint and its surrounding structures. This is because the shoulder is more prone to injuries than other joints with its wide range of movement.

Many patients we treat have a rotator cuff disorder. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help to move the shoulder and hold the joint in place. Rotator cuff disorders result from inflammation or damage to the rotator cuff muscles or tendons, or inflammation of the subacromial bursa (which is a fluid-filled pad that sits under the highest part of the shoulder). The inflammation can be caused by general wear and tear that occurs with age, activities that require constant or repetitive shoulder motion (especially above shoulder level), heavy lifting, trauma, or poor posture. Serious injuries and untreated inflammation of the tendons can cause the rotator cuff to tear.

The pain associated with rotator cuff problems is normally felt at the front or on the outside of the shoulder, particularly when you raise your arm or lift something above your head. You may also notice the pain more when lying in bed. Severe injuries can cause weakness of the shoulder muscles, restricted shoulder movement and continuous pain. There are special movement tests that Dr. Blackford uses to help determine which of the muscles or tendons has been torn in the rotator cuff.

Dislocation of the shoulder can occur after a fall. Shoulder dislocation occurs when the ball-shaped head of your upper arm bone (humerus) comes out of the shoulder socket. It may be caused by a fall, a sporting injury, or trauma, and is an extremely painful condition. A dislocated shoulder is visibly deformed or out of place, and there may be swelling or bruising around the joint. Shoulder movement is severely restricted in people with a dislocated shoulder. Dr. Blackford uses gentle manoeuvres to put the shoulder bones back into place.

Following a dislocation, the shoulder joint sometimes becomes unstable and is susceptible to repeated dislocations. This condition is known as shoulder instability, and causes pain and unsteadiness when you raise your arm or move it away from your body. Your shoulder may feel as if it is slipping out of place when you lift your arm over your head. Arthritis can cause shoulder pain.

Arthritis causes progressive joint pain, tenderness, swelling and stiffness. Both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can affect the shoulder joint. Shoulder pain can come from other causes such as referred pain. Sometimes shoulder pain is actually due to problems in your neck or a mixture of several different problems.

Dr. Blackford will perform a series of tests needed to determine the cause of shoulder pain. You may also need to have an X-ray, or other scans, such as an ultrasound scan or MRI.  Next, physical therapy will be performed with specific exercises to strenthen the shoulder. If necessary, Dr. Blackford will refer you to a shoulder specialist.

Headaches. Everyone gets them from time to time, but sometimes they can be so strong as to be unbearable and they may not go away. Medications can relieve the symptoms and put off the pain temporarily, but not the cause of these headaches.

Many of the more severe headache symptoms are slow to respond to chemical treatment. Using medications over an extened period of time can lead to long lasting and often negative effects to the body. This is why many people with chronic head pain look to the more natural solution of chiropractic care.  If you live in the Schaumburg Hoffman Estates area Churchill Chiropractic should be the first place to come for headache evaluation and treatment. 

There Are Different Kinds of Headaches- In order to better treat any problem it is first important to understand what causes it. There are many different kinds of headaches, some which can be treated by chiropractic better than others. Headaches are most commonly caused by:

-vascular constriction

-tension in the muscles

-sinus congestion

-eye strain

It is most important to realize that chiropractic seems to work best in the types of headaches that are based around muscle tension and changes to vascular flow. Sinus headaches have also had success, but they are likely to have a more complicated cause.

Tension Headaches- If we become stressed, scared, or angry, your body will respond with increased muscle tension in the head, neck, and shoulders. This reaction is called the fight or flight response, and it is the normal response to stress. If we are stressed often (as most of us are) and we can neither run or fight, the muscle tension becomes a habit.

This can lead to some imbalances in the way we hold our body, which in turn leads to more muscle tension and pain. Treatment at Churchill Chiropractic can relax these muscles and realign the spine’s structure to put and end to the pain. Those seeking chiropractic care for tension headaches can often see a marked improvement in just a few treatments as the nerves become less irritated and the muscles begin to relax.

Migraine Headaches- Migraines are brought about by changes in vascular flow, triggered by a variety of factors such as different smells, foods, weather, hormonal changes, and stress. These often very painful headaches do not always start off as pain. They can begin with nausea or the person may experience a halo effect called a visual aura.

Recent studies have shown chiropractic treatment may play a significant role in reducing the number of migraines a person has. By careful manipulation of the neck and spine, chiropractic adjustments may be able to reduce nerve irritation in the spine, thus preventing radiating or referred pain, and improve vascular flow.

Treatment- Chiropractic care centers around manipulation of the spine and neck to improve blood flow and posture. To reduce the headaches, the chiropractor will perform spinal adjustments using his hands, but may also include massage, trigger point therapy, or other types of complementary treatments to address the problem. Dr. Blackford will probably also include some home care recommendations such as stretching exercises and posture education to help keep things balanced between visits.

Visit our full Headache page to learn more about the different types of headaches and Chiropractic treatments.

Yes, all patients with back pain, neck pain, hip pain and knee pain completed Tuesday's class with sucess!

Each week at Churchill Chiropractic in Schaumburg we offer a half hour core class for ALL of our patients and their guests, lead by Dr. Blackford himself. What this Core Class is about, one may wonder, be ready to Rock Your Abs! Attendees are exercised to upbeat music and within a half hour's time complete 130 crunches and a full abdominal routine. At Churchill Chiropractic we find it important for our patients to do the best they can working towards a strong core and abs to reduce back pain episodes.

This week's music playlist included Dave Mattews Band, O.A.R.  Lily Allen, and Bob Marley among others. All atendees completed a quick 5 minute warm up routine followed by planks, rollouts, cross crawls, bycicles, and crunches. One stretch was introduced to the class by a patient, and we welcome any additions or ideas for the class with open arms. A patient with knee pain opted out of the push ups and scissors exercise. Another patient with mild back pain took a break during the bridge routine. Once again, we welcome all fitness levels and accomodate for these needs, as shown previously.

The class is held every Tuesday at 7pm.  Everyone is welcome.  The exercises and stretches are chosen to be safe for anyone with neck and back pain, knee or shoulder problems.  The age range is 8 to 80.  Remember the best way to reduce stress is with exercise.  Stess has been found to be responsible for 30 percent of all headaches and low back pain.

This is the best CORE class around if you live in the Schaumburg or Hoffman Estates area. 

Wednesday 7pm is the Yoga Class taught by Lori Wilson.