Dwyane Wade, Migraines and Upper Cervical

Dwyane Wade, Migraines and NUCCA

by Dr. William R. Davis Jr.

One of NBA Basketball‘s most exciting players Dwyane Wade continues to battle migraine headaches.

"Most of the time it lasts for four days," Wade said. "This time, the effects are going into the third day. I’m doing everything with the doctors, but there are certain things you can’t control."

Or can you?

Is it possible that there is an underlying cause associated with your migraines Dwyane?

If you got to the underlying cause would it be possible to prevent these migraines?

Would it be possible to eliminate them completely?

Dwyane Wade is a very physical player. He frequently dives on the floor and has had several head and neck traumas over the years. Here is one example of Wade whacking his head on the ground in the playoffs a few years ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ksc5_bpYw

What happens when you get head and neck traumas?

Well these accidents and injuries can tear loose the connective tissue that holds the spine in place and create a weakness, which then allows the spine to breakdown and lock into a stressed position.
Now I am sure that the Miami Heat have a staff Chiropractor, as almost all professional sports team do. But to get to this problem he may need a more advanced approach than general chiropractic. Learn more from a recent WebMD story http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20070316/chiropractic-cuts-blood-pressure

If Mr. Wade has a misalignment in the upper neck at the base of the brain, blood flow has been shown to be effected. Research is demonstrating that these misalignments in the upper neck at the level of the Atlas can be an underlying cause with several vascular conditions such as Migraine Headaches, High Blood Pressure, Multiple Sclerosis and others. The veins that drain the brain are not working the way that they are supposed to be.

The main way that this takes place is the physical trauma associated with head and neck injuries.

The only way to safely, precisely and gently realign the spine is by acquiring precise upper cervical x-rays. Once the upper neck is viewed from all three directions then a plan can be put together to correct this complex condition. The NUCCA procedure is very effective at restoring the upper neck to it’s proper alignment.

(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)

Protecting Your Upper Cervical Correction

By Dr. Michael Polsinelli

Of all the bones in the spine, the first one (the atlas) is the most vulnerable because it doesn’t have the bony locks that the others have, and it has to support a large amount of weight (the head). Because this misalignment can irritate the spinal cord, it can be devastating to our health. Using a light touch or gentle pressure, Upper Cervical Doctors are able to free the atlas bone toward the proper position. This will strengthen many postural muscles, balance the hips and legs, and allow people to function and feel much better.

Once we have had a misalignment of the atlas, it is possible for the atlas to misalign again. In addition to another injury, physical stress is another reason that we can go out of alignment.

Physical stress can be things like improper lifting or sitting. Sleeping on our stomach can cause significant stress to the upperneck. Heavy backpacks stress the spines of our children and teenagers.

Having our head in an extended position for any length of time can stress the upper neck. This includes painting ceilings, getting our hair washed at a salon, and getting our teeth worked on at the dentist. For painting, use ladders and extension poles. Wash your hair before going to the salon, or bend forward for the hair washing (at the minimum, use lots of towels under your neck and don’t extend a lot). Finally, talk to your dentist before major teeth work and set up signals so that you can take very short breaks (even as small as 4 seconds can reduce the stress).

Sleeping in awkward positions can cause our atlas to shift out of alignment. Don’t fall asleep on the couch or in a chair. The jerking of trying to stay awake in a seated position can also cause the atlas to misalign. Finally don’t sleep in a moving vehicle (especially if driving). The vibration of the vehicle can cause the atlas to go out of alignment since our muscles are so relaxed. Sudden movements can also be problematic. The worst is flying. There is not enough room to get comfortable, and the turbulence can knock the atlas out of position.

With everything, allow comfort to be your guide, make sure you are comfortable while sleeping, sitting and lifting. If not, change position or take a break. When the ligaments can’t do their job properly, the muscles will take over. We’ll notice tightness in our necks. If this occurs, take a break, lay down, nap if you can. If you are driving, park the car and put the chair back and rest for 5 minutes. This will allow our ligaments to get the break that they need, and allow us to hold our alignments. By listening to our bodies we can take better care of ourselves and allow the healing process to occur.

Once again, the initial misalignment is often caused by an injury, even if a subtle one at the time. Once we have had an injury we are vulnerable to going out of alignment again. By listening to our bodies and being smart, we can reduce the physical stress on ourselves. Finally, the longer we hold our alignment the less likely we are to lose the alignment, especially from day to day activities.

Be thankful...This family is...especially for Upper Cervical Care