Question
DEAR DOCTOR, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING TENSION HEADACHES FOR ABOUT A FEW MONTHS, THEY FEEL LIKE TIGHT BANDS ALL AROUND MY HEAD, MAKING ME WEAK, TIRED AND DIZZY AT TIMES. I EXPERIENCE THEM ALL DAY LONG, AND IT HURTS AT DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE HEAD ALL THE TIME.  I HAVE HAD AN MRI DONE ON THE BRAIN TO SEE IF IFS NOTHING SERIOUS AND THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE PROBLEM. THE OTHER DAY I WENT TO MY PHYSICIAN AND HAD AN X-RAY DONE ON THE CERVICAL SPINE AND IT SHOWS THAT I HAVE 2 PINCHED NERVES. CAN MY TENSION HEADACHES BE THE RESULT OF PINCHED NERVES IN MY NECK. ALSO WHAT TYPES OF TREATMENT IS RECOMMENDED, I HAVE TRIED MOTRIN FOR 2 WEEKS AND I SAW NO IMPROVEMENT. IS ACUPUNCTURE EFFECTIVE FOR THIS? PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR ADVISE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME."


Answer
Maria:

Thanks for writing!

Yes, your tension headache can be a result of pinched nerves in your neck. It is a mechanical thing. The bones get in the way of the nerves trying to do their job and pain is a result.

Motrin and other chemicals will never get the job done completly. Since it is mechanical, only mechanical methods will serve.

Suppose you had a pain in the bottom of your foot and you found there was a rock in your shoe.
How may aspirin would it take to get a rock out of your shoe?

Acupuncture might help, but your best bet is a good chiropractor. Go to www.sorsi.com, www.icak.com and www.soto-usa.com and look for a good chiropractor near you.

Here is a home exercise that will help.

Normally, a pinched nerve in your neck is caused by the neck bones coming apart.  The little piece of slick bone on one vertebrae (a neck bone) is not sitting down on the little slick piece of bone on the next vertebrae. This will pinch a nerve.
There is a home exercise you can do that will correct it. And it is this.
Standing or laying on your back, keep your face straight forward. Do not tilt the chin down or up. If you are lying on your back, move the face toward the ceiling is such a way that if it touched the ceiling, your face would be flat on the ceiling. If you are standing, move it straight forward in such a way that your forehead and chin would touch the wall in front of you at the same time. It has to go straight forward.
Holding that position, move your chin in a figure eight pattern. Imagine the wall is a piece of paper. You have a pencil sticking straight out from your chin. Use the tip of the pencil to write a "8" laying on its side. When done correctly, the neck will then make a crunching noise at the base of the skull. This is good. It will help your neck. It might not take the crunching sound out right away, but it will ensure that no damage is done and in fact will correct the problem if one persists in using it.
Does this answer you question?

If not, go to www.sorsi.com, www.icak.com and www.soto-usa.com and look for a good chiropractor near you. They can go over the exercise with you. It if from Dr. DeJarnette's writing.

Dr. Rozeboom