PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A Portland chiropractor is making area residents aware of the benefits of natural, drug-free migraine and headache treatments. According to Dr. Samantha Stuart DC, PC, chiropractic care can relieve many of the underlying physical problems that cause or aggravate tension headaches and migraines in Portland. "At our clinic we want people to understand that while drugs might address some of the worst symptoms temporarily, they may not address the reasons headaches and migraines occur or recur. Chiropractic adjustment offers a longer-lasting solution for a higher state of overall health," she says.
Dr. Stuart states that tension headaches are the most common type of head pain suffered by the patients she sees. She adds that they are so named because of the tendency for emotional stress, poor posture, and spinal misalignments to cause muscle tension. When this type of tension afflicts a particular muscle at the base of the skull known as the RCPM muscle, the muscle tugs at sensitive membranes and nerves, causing the familiar pain of a tension headache in various parts of the head. Misalignments of the cervical spine, she adds, are also a major factor in the headaches experienced by whiplash victims following an auto accident or sports injury.
"Chiropractic treatment seeks to stop these kinds of headaches in their tracks by eliminating not just pain itself but also the reason for the pain," says Dr. Stuart. The Portland chiropractor performs spinal adjustments that help to relieve the muscle tension that leads to RCPM spasms, thus relieving headache symptoms. Once the immediate problem has been resolved, Dr. Stuart may also recommend periodic followup evaluations to correct any fresh spinal misalignments before the headache pain can recur. "These headache treatments are non-invasive, drug-free, totally safe and highly effective," she notes.
Dr. Stuart's clinic also uses chiropractic techniques to treat migraines in Portland. The practitioner admits that the precise causes of migraine headaches can prove mysterious, but states that this particularly intense form of headache seems to be associated with abnormal neurotransmitter and hormone levels. These abnormalities, which in turn may be triggered by a variety of dietary and environmental factors, change blood pressure levels in the head and cause vomiting, nausea, vision problems, light or sound hypersensitivity, and disabling pain. Dr. Stuart claims that chiropractic adjustment can help the body function more normally on a daily basis, helping to prevent the biochemical and blood pressure swings that can set off a migraine. "We can also provide dietary and lifestyle advice to help patients avoid migraines in Portland," she says.
In addition to migraine and headache treatments, the office of Dr. Samantha Stuart DC, PC provides back pain management, sports injury treatment, physical therapy, wellness care and other non-surgical services for Portland residents.