Most people think of Chiropractors as doctors that can help with back pain or neck pain. Did you know we can adjust the shoulders, elbow, knees, and even feet?
Adjustments to the feet can help with foot pain and even improve the balance of your gait as you walk. We also know that the feet are the foundation of the body. When the arches of the feet collapse, it can cause imbalance in the knee, hip, pelvis, shoulders and even the head and neck!
Because of this, we recommend that our patients get foot scans to see how strong their arches are or if there is imbalance in the way they are standing. The FootLevelers scanner will give a report and make custom orthotics specifically for you. Patients often notice their chiropractic adjustments hold longer, their relief lasts longer between visits, and they have less pain when they are supported from the ground up!
If you live in our area, I also recommend getting fit for the right shoes to support your foot. The Sporty Runner is where I recommend our patients go when buying tennis shoes or running shoes. You don’t have to be a runner to go there! Their associates are very knowledgeable and are able to observe you walk, and recommend shoes that will benefit you the most. Make sure to take in your FootLeveler Orthotic inserts so they can make sure they are compatible with the shoe you are purchasing.
If you have foot pain, knee pain, hip pain, low back pain, or notice that you favor standing or walking on one leg- come get a foot scan at Hurley Chiropractic!
Hey everyone, it’s Dr. Emily Hurley! I love to help people with headaches and migraines. I decided to specialize in migraines and headaches because as a migraine sufferer, I personally know how debilitating they can be. I wouldn’t be able to function without chiropractic to manage my migraines.
Oftentimes, my new patients come in reporting complaints of back pain. When I ask if they have headaches they respond “Oh occasionally” or “Just the normal amount”. Just to let you know- the normal amount of headaches is zero! When I ask how many headaches they consider to be “occasional headaches” my patients will sometimes describe up to 2-3 headaches per week! Headaches are not normal and are a sign that there is something going on! I help get to the root cause of the migraines and headaches. Oftentimes my chronic migraine patients know that they have triggers or patterns, such as the weather, stress, dehydration, certain foods, or right before and during their menstrual cycle. While these can all be factors in headaches or migraines, there is one common factor I find in all of my headache and migraine patients:
The Atlas Subluxation!
The Atlas is another name for our C1 vertebrae, that little bone that sits at the very top of our neck and supports our head. That’s why its name is Atlas, that little guy is carrying the weight of the world! The Atlas is the main culprit in nearly all of my headache and migraine patients. That little bone can get shifted out of alignment, which we call a subluxation. An Atlas adjustment is powerful and almost always gives a level of immediate relief. The Atlas Adjustment is a powerful neurologic reset. It’s a way to send a flood of information to the brain and is like rebooting a computer. It helps relieve pressure from those nerves going up into the head.
In the case of migraines (classified here as a one sided headache with pain behind the eye, accompanied by light sensitivity and usually nausea or vomiting), I have a few more factors to consider. My migraine protocol also includes cranial work. There is a bone in the center of our skull called the Sphenoid. The sphenoid will often follow the Atlas. If the Atlas shifts over, the Sphenoid can shift too. This puts pressure behind the eye. The one eye can appear bigger and it can cause pain behind the eye. Balancing the skull through cranial adjustments can give wonderful relief to migraine sufferers.
The third consideration is the balancing of the autonomic nervous system. Migraine sufferers that have light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, nausea and vomiting are stuck in their “Fight or Flight” side of their nervous system. Adjusting the spine, particularly the mid-back and upper back, can reset the Fight or Flight portion of the nervous system and help to calm the system. Think about it, if you are in Fight or Flight your body is on high alert. Your pupils dilate to be able to see the threat more clearly, your brain focuses on your hearing being more acute, your digestion slows down because you need all your energy preparing to run or fight the threat. This can be a factor in these symptoms of migraines.
Watch my video to hear about one of my greatest migraine success stories!
Acid Reflux and Heartburn are issues that will affect many people! If you have chronic reflux or heartburn, I would recommend trying the following tips.
If your issue does not resolve after a couple of weeks, a deep dive into digestion and food sensitivities is important. Schedule with Dr Beachy for a Functional Medicine consultation to get more help with this issue!
If you haven’t had this issue previously but it becomes an issue during pregnancy, try these tips for improving digestion and to get some relief!
Preventative daily tips:
Take a probiotic. Taking a high quality probiotic replenishes gut flora and helps digest food. I recommend Klaire labs or Loomis Enzymes.
Eat probiotic foods. Eating fermenteds foods daily is also important for digestion and absorption. Examples are kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and Bubbies brand pickles.
Take a Digestive enzyme. Taking enzymes with food will help break down what you eat so you can digest it more efficiently. I recommend Pure Encapsulations or Loomis Enzyme.
Increase acid in the stomach. This may sound counter-intuitive. If you have heartburn or acid reflux, shouldn’t you take antacids to help? No! Heartburn and reflux are actually a result of not enough acid in the stomach. The food takes too long to digest due to low acid. After it sits in the stomach for so long, the body starts pouring in more acid to help. Taking antacids only perpetuate the issue long term. It can be helpful to take a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice about 30 minutes before a meal.
Avoid drinking water at meals. Drinking watet at meals will dilute that stomach acid and keep your stomach from effectively digesting. Do you ever feel really bloated and full for hours after a meal? Try not to drink water for 30 min before your meal and 1 hour after. Limit your water during your meal to around 6 ounces, if possible. Don’t forget to drink lots of water between meals to stay hydrated!
Avoid juice, coffee, tea, soda. Water is the best!
Eat slowly and chew well. Digestion begins in the mouth! Breaking it down well will aid digestion.
Have your stomach “adjusted” by the chiropractor!
A Sliding Hiatal Hernia can cause reflux. This is when you stomach slides up through the diaphragm. Ask your Chiropractor if they are trained in visceral manipulation and can check if you have a hiatal hernia.
If your heartburn becomes unbearable and you need to do something for it in the moment for pain relief, try sipping on kefir. It is like a liquid yogurt drink with lots of probiotics. It is soothing in the moment and good for digestion!
Another trick is to have a partner press gently on the side of your ribcage while you are laying on your side. This can give relief by relaxing the diaphragm around the esophageal sphincter.
Let us know if we can help with your heartburn or reflux!
Headaches are one of the most common reasons patients seek treatment here at Hurley Chiropractic. The types and causes of recurring headaches are numerous and often vary from patient to patient on the degree of severity and resulting negative effects on their daily quality of life. They can range from a minor annoyance to severe pain and disability, resulting in lost work time, missed family obligations and disruption of social or recreational activities.
We are all aware of what a headache feels like, especially if you suffer from migraines or cluster headaches. What we often are not aware of is how those recurrent headaches can impact our lives over time when it comes to our work performance and relationships with family and friends.
Speaking from personal experience, chronic headaches can certainly decrease cognitive efficiency, or in layman’s terms, decrease the ability to think as clearly. This can be frustrating, which in turn affects mood and cause irritability in our daily interactions at work or home. If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then consider the effect over time how chronic headaches interfere with our ability to be our best at work and our personal lives. Maybe you were passed over for a promotion because of missed work days? Maybe your teenage daughter’s feelings were hurt when you missed her dance recital. These are everyday examples of how chronic pain and other health problems can damage our abilities to be our best and can cause us to miss out in life.
FOMO is an acronym for “fear of missing out”, which is one of those text abbreviations that is gaining popularity in our ever increasing online lives. It isn’t as popular as YOLO, which is more positive and inspirational but FOMO seems to be a more accurate motivational term to get my message across to anyone that suffers from headaches and is looking for relief of the pain and the anxiety and stress related to “the fear of missing out.”
The team at Hurley Chiropractic is dedicated to helping individuals in our community that may be suffering from headaches or other chronic health problems. Our mission is to help improve the quality of life of our patients and their families. After all, YOLO.
