Headaches and migraines can be debilitating, disrupting daily life and causing significant discomfort. While chiropractic care offers great relief to many headache sufferers, adding in natural remedies to complement your chiropractic care can help. Headache supplements can play a crucial role in managing and alleviating headache and migraine symptoms. Here are five of the best headache supplements that can help provide relief:

1. Ginger

Ginger is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. It contains compounds like gingerol that help reduce inflammation and block prostaglandins, chemicals in the body that trigger pain and inflammation. Studies have shown that ginger can be as effective as some prescription medications in reducing migraine severity.

How to Use: You can take ginger in various forms, including capsules, teas, or fresh ginger. A common dosage is 500 mg of ginger per day. Take a dose at the immediate signs of headache, as it sometimes can give relief in as little as 2 hours.

2. Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle and nerve function. Low magnesium levels have been linked to migraines, and supplementing with magnesium can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches.

How to Use: Magnesium supplements are available in several forms, but the best forms are magnesium citrate and bis-glycinate. The recommended dosage for migraine prevention is typically 400-800 mg per day. Note: Magnesium citrate can act as a natural laxative, so if you have a sensitive digestive system, you may want to choose magnesium bis-glycinate.

3. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that helps produce energy in cells. It has been found to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, likely due to its role in maintaining mitochondrial health and reducing oxidative stress.

How to Use: The typical dosage for CoQ10 is 100-150 mg per day. It’s most effective when taken with meals to enhance absorption.

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish oil and flaxseeds, have potent anti-inflammatory effects. They can help reduce the inflammation that contributes to headache and migraine pain. Additionally, omega-3s support overall brain health, which can be beneficial for migraine sufferers.

How to Use: You can take omega-3 supplements in the form of fish oil capsules or liquid. Aim for a dosage that provides at least 2,000 mg of combined EPA and DHA daily per 40 pounds (18kg) of body weight.

5. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2

Vitamin D3 is essential for maintaining overall health, including immune and neurological function. Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with an increased risk of migraines. Vitamin K2 works synergistically with vitamin D3 to ensure proper calcium utilization and bone health, which indirectly supports headache prevention.

How to Use: A common dosage for vitamin D3 is 1,000-2,000 IU per day per 40 pounds/18 kg of body weight, often combined with 100-200 mcg of vitamin K2. It’s advisable to take these supplements with a meal that contains fat for better absorption.

Avoid These Foods

1. Alcohol

• Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic, which increases urine production and can lead to dehydration, a common trigger for headaches.
• Vasodilation: Alcohol can cause blood vessels to expand (vasodilation), which can trigger headaches and migraines.
• Histamine and Tyramine: Alcoholic beverages, especially red wine, contain histamine and tyramine, compounds known to trigger migraines in susceptible individuals.

2. Dairy

• Lactose Intolerance: Some individuals are lactose intolerant and may experience headaches as a secondary symptom due to digestive distress and inflammation caused by consuming dairy products.
• Triggers: Things like casein or tyramine, can trigger sensitivities that may lead to headaches and migraines.

3. Fried Foods/Processed Meats

• High Fat Content: Fried foods are high in unhealthy fats, which can increase inflammation and contribute to the development of headaches.
• Trans Fats: These foods often contain trans fats, which can disrupt normal blood flow and trigger inflammatory responses associated with migraines.
• Additives and Preservatives: Fried foods often contain additives and preservatives like monosodium glutamate (MSG), processed meats nitrates which can be headache triggers for some individuals.

While supplements can provide significant relief for headaches and migraines, it’s important to approach them as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Combing the supplements with chiropractic care is the best approach for maximum headache and migraine relief. Book now to see if chiropractic can give you some headache relief.

To a Pain-Free Head,

The post Best Supplements for Headache and Migraine Relief appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

What’s the exercise? The “Titanic” perfect posture exercise is designed to target key muscles that support a straight spine and the natural curves of the spine. No need for fancy equipment or a gym membership – all you need is a few minutes and day and a commitment to improving your posture.

Quick and easy! This exercise is a short 10-second hold by 10 sets routine that you can easily incorporate into your daily life. It’s perfect for beginners and those looking for a simple yet impactful way to fix their posture. It just may be the best posture exercise on the internet!

What to expect:

1. Step-by-step instructions: Dr. Jon Saunders will guide you through the exercise with clear and concise instructions.
2. Demonstration: See the exercise in action to ensure you’re doing it correctly.
3. Tips for success: Learn key tips to maximize the effectiveness of this posture-improving routine.

Perfect Posture in 14 Days | Perfect Posture Routine (8 Min/Day)

Keep Upright!,

P.S. Sleeping posture is important as well: https://chirofirst.ca/posture/

The post Perfect Posture in 100 Seconds; Perfect Posture in 14 Days appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

Have you ever looked at yourself from the side, either in a mirror or in a photo and notice a hump on the back of your neck or maybe one of your friends or family members graciously pointed out that you had a neck hump?

A neck hump, sometimes called a dowager’s hump, is becoming increasingly common due to prolonged phone and computer use. This posture change usually develops when the head gradually moves forward relative to the shoulders, placing increased stress on the neck and upper back.

Neck Hump Treatment Newmarket

One of the most common questions I get in practice from patients that complain of neck issues is what is that hump or what can I do to eliminate my neck hump? Usually it’s of minimal concern outside of what it looks like, however some people are self-conscious about it.

Some people still refer to this as a Dowager’s hump, a hunchback, a buffalo hump, or forward head posture. The technical term is a ‘Dorsocervical fat pad’. The reason for that name is because it is an accumulation of fat tissue on the dorsal part of the spine on the back of the neck.

What Causes a Neck Hump?

There are many causes to a hump forming on the back of your neck, but I’m going to discuss three main causes I see daily in practice:

• Medications/Medical Conditions

Steroids like prednisone or conditions like Cushing syndrome can cause an accumulation of fat on the back of the neck. Also being over weight can also make this area appear bigger than it is as C7 generally protrudes more at this junction in the spine.

• Osteoporosis

Compression fractures from weakened bones in the thoracic spine can cause the spine to hunch forward.

• Posture

Three postural patterns can also create a neck hump to form: thoracic hyper-kyphosis, cervical kyphosis, and forward head posture. This can also contribute to neck pain and headaches.

Why Does Fat Accumulate?

Outside of medications and certain medical conditions, when it comes to a neck hump being caused by poor posture, there seems to be a predominate theory about why fat accumulates in the area of the cervical-thoracic spine junction.

Some have theorized that fat is laid down in the area to help protect this area of the spine. This is a very sensitive area of the spine. As you can imagine, just an inch or 2 deep below the surface of the skin is your spinal cord.

The spinal cord is the lifeline of your body. It is protected by the vertebrae. Because your spinal cord has the important job of transmitting information from the brain to all the parts of your body, it should be protected. So it is likely because of the body’s intelligence that it likely lays fat down there to protect that area because it is now protruding and more vulnerable to injury.

Related Conditions

• Neck Pain
• Headaches
• Postural Problems
• Neck Correction

How Can You Fix It?

You should always consult your health care provider (like your chiropractor) to first determine the cause. Once it is determined that yours is caused by a postural problem, your chiropractor will provide a correction plan to help reduce or eliminate your neck hump through specific exercises, stretches/traction, and adjustments.

However, one exercise I find very helpful is a ‘modified’ Y-W-T exercise that you can start doing at home immediately. You can learn how to do it in this video:

Part 1 of 3

Fixing the hump at the back of your neck will take some effort and time. Just like any other health goal, being persistent will allow you to be successful.

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

BONUS:

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are concerned about a developing neck hump or posture changes, a professional evaluation can help determine the underlying cause and the best approach for improvement.

Book Appointment

The post Neck Hump Fix appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

My answer? Absolutely!!!

You always want to be ‘posture-aware’ in your daily activity and this includes in the gym. Most injuries occur slowly over time, from doing poor movements over and over again. Think overuse injuries like a rotator cuff injury or tendonitis. Even chronic headaches from sitting in front of your computer, or staring down at your phone are good examples on not being ‘posture-aware’. Another good example is ‘couch-slouch‘.

“But doc, I didn’t do anything, my shoulder just started to hurt after that last set.” A common thing I hear. It’s often the last straw that break the camels back.

When I see certain exercises being done, I cringe. I know over the long term they are damaging to someone’s spine. I see it on x-rays.

Watch the video below to see my top 4 exercises to STOP doing in the the gym immediately…you definitely see people still doing these BAD exercises.

Save your neck, back, and shoulders and please avoid them!

Exercise smarter,

The post Avoid These Exercises! appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

GOAL…have your ever had one that you haven’t achieved?  If you are like me, some goals sound really good on paper, but are sometimes very scary in that they seem they will require too much work to achieve.  Over the years, I have narrowed down one thing that makes goals a bit less overwhelming.  Here is a simple tip that can make a huge difference in helping you achieve any goal you may have.  It focusses on a small thing that can make a big difference on whether you are successful or not. I use this technique any time something seems big and insurmountable…and it works!  Interested in other videos?  View our channel by clicking here.

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The post Simple Tip to Help Achieve a Goal appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

Low back pain, sciatica, disc bulge or herniation?  Watch this video below and it may just be your solution. Simple, and easy to do at home without any equipment.  We see hundreds of cases of sciatica each year in our Newmarket chiropractic office, and while some cases are more stubborn than others, we are able to help most cases once the cause is found.

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What can I do for relief?

Some general home care instructions for sciatica include:

1. Ice in 15 minute intervals. In some cases, heat may be beneficial as well.  Click here for proper ice/heat instructions.
2. Intermittent movement. Never stay in one position too long, especially if it is uncomfortable.  Find the position that is most comfortable and try to move within the boundaries of comfort.
3. A prone extension stretch has been shown to help by holding the position that gives the most relief 5-10 times per day.  Click here for a video of me showing you how to perform the stretch correctly.
4. Choosing “anti-inflammatory” foods can help – Click here for a list.  Avoid sugary foods and alcohol which can exacerbate inflammation.

The above are general recommendations that may be helpful in lessening your pain.  However, specific spinal and pelvis adjustments and exercises have been shown to be extremely effective in treating the cause of the problem – saying goodbye to sciatica pain will allow you to start living your life again.  We have years of experience in helping those heal from sciatica – often a different approach is needed if you have been suffering for a while.

Helping you get your life back,

The post Single Best Exercise for Low back pain, sciatica, and disc herniation appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

Are Spinal X-Rays Safe?

I want to address the safety issue to start.  Let me be clear, if x-rays are necessary to determine the underlying cause of your problem, rest assured they are very safe.  In fact, an x-ray of your neck has approximately the same radiation exposure as a return trans-Atlantic flight (pilots fly on average of 75-100 hours/month with no ill-effects).  When the benefits outweigh the risk, x-rays provide a tremendous amount of information that can help you get well, especially for those problems that seem to come and go or never really go away.

Why X-Rays?

An x-ray allows us to see your spine in black, white, and grey.  Arthritis, osteoporosis, scoliosis, instability, subluxation and other types of damage are easily seen when looking at an x-ray.  An x-ray gives us a very detailed view of your problem areas so they can be accurately addressed.  Taking out the guesswork provides us with a precise “picture” of your spine so we can tailor your treatments specifically for you.

Objective Testing

Let’s say you wanted to lower your cholesterol levels by changing your diet.  You would need blood work (objective test) to first get your initial cholesterol levels.  Then you would change your eating habits for a period of time (intervention).  Finally, you would then redo your blood work to determine how successful your efforts were.  No guessing.  You would see in black and white (on paper) whether you moved your health in the direction you wanted.

Regaining your health is a dynamic process and sometimes requires shifting direction slightly to make sure you continue moving towards your goal.  This can only be done when accurate objective testing is used (like x-ray) not only for your starting point, but also to monitor your improvement.  Your health is worth it, in fact it depends on accurate diagnostics.

Never guessing, always improving,

The post Why X-rays? appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

Forward Head Posture Treatment in Newmarket

FHP is a bad postural pattern that not only gives you that “old” unsightly posture but it can also create long-term problems – some of the most common ones I see in my office are – headaches, neck, mid-back, and low back pain, tingling in the hands and fingers, shoulder pain, dizziness, TMJ (jaw joint), carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, pinched nerves and even concentration problems and low self-esteem.

Some of the most frustrating things I hear regarding FHP are:

• Everyone has it – not true in my office!
• Exercise alone can fix it – not true; if it was that easy, no one would have it!
• It cannot be fixed – not true, addressing each component of FHP is necessary for correcting it.

How We Can Help

The most important components of forward head posture that need to be addressed are the nerves, muscles, and ligaments.  Each of these tissues need to be very specifically addressed in order to correct the problem.  Most people are unsuccessful in correcting their FHP and subsequent problems because they usually only address one of these tissues and they have no objective measurement to compare where they started to where they end up.  Click here for a video describing FHP and the way to properly diagnose it.

Combining specific adjustments directed at correcting the neurology (nerves) with appropriate muscle activation (e.g. head weights) in conjunction with a precise ligament stretch (Dennerol), correcting FHP is possible.  The good news? It only takes minutes a day to accomplish this.

In summary, find the cause of your FHP and get an objective measurement of its severity.  Then target the specific tissues that require rehabilitation and get to work.

Be well,

Book Now

The post How to Correct Forward Head Posture (FHP) appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.

Face Down Sleeping

Avoid sleeping face down at ALL costs – while it may be comfortable – it will cause years of pain down the road. We were not designed to sleep with our heads wrenched to one side night after night. While I will admit that face down sleeping posture is not an easy change, it can be done. Just start your sleep out in one of the positions I will be discussing below and every time you wake up on your stomach, change back to the correct position. Slowly your bad habit will change and you will be significantly healthier for it!

Back & Side Sleeping

The best sleeping position is alternating between your side and your back (which usually happens automatically during the night). If you start on your back, a low pillow should be used so that your head and neck are not pushed forward too much which contributes to forward head posture.  As well, placing a pillow underneath your knees will take some pressure off your low back, which will help prevent low back pain and sciatica.

For side sleeping, the best sleeping position, it is vital that your pillow fits you! If your pillow is too thin, your head will bend towards the mattress and if it is too thick your head will bend towards the ceiling – both less than ideal scenarios if you are trying to stay healthy, correct your posture, and out of pain. As well, your head should be positioned parallel to the base of your bed, not bent down towards your chest. Finally, slightly bend your knees and place another pillow between your knees. This will allow your pelvis and lower back to maintain the best possible alignment during sleep.

Sleeping positions are very difficult to change.  Watch the video below to help you change to the correct position to help you get a more restful sleep and pain-free morning.  This simple change can have dramatic effects on your quality of life – who doesn’t want to wake up energized and pain free? Sweet dreams!

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The post Proper Sleeping Positions appeared first on Chiropractic on Eagle, Dr. Jon Saunders.