Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter

*************

You may circulate copies of the Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Newsletter by Manually forwarding it, providing you forward the issue in it’s entirety, no fee is involved, and you may forward no more than three issues to any one individual. You may not attach advertising or otherwise modify the text of the newsletter

frambesia144

Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter

March 1, 2008 Issue Vol. 8 No. 3

Each Month we offer special deals on

our Website: www.doctorsexercise.com

********************************************

Need a gift for a loved one or friend? Giving a gift of

health is giving a gift of love!

In This Newsletter

Introduction

Healthfully yours

Health Hints

Introduction***

The Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Health Newsletter is written monthly, solely for information to help seniors, baby boomers and anyone who may have an interest in staying healthy, living a vigorous, active lifestyle and combating the aging process. It does not constitute the practice of medicine and is not meant to prescribe treatments. It is offered strictly as an educational aid. Any medical problems you may have, we recommend that you seek the help of your physician or other healthcare professional. Discussing your intentions with your doctor is always the proper procedure. The newsletter also includes know-how in the form of useful tips and links to more extensive material on the Internet. You may wish to share this newsletter by sending a copy to a friend, neighbor or relative and suggesting they subscribe to it.

This newsletter is scanned for viruses and is virus-free before it is sent to recipients!

Website: http://www.doctorsexercise.com

How to Subscribe or Unsubscribe: Send your email address with subscribe or unsubscribe to e-mail address below:

E-Mail address: doc1@gate.net

Healthfully yours***

Tension Headaches

We live in stressful times. A common manifestation resulting from these many stresses are headaches. Millions of Americans suffer from headaches on a daily basis or more than likely at least 2 to 3 times weekly. Headaches (cephalgia) come in all shapes and forms. Headaches are easily one of the most frequent complaints seen by doctors on a daily basis.

It is important to first identify the type of headache the individual is presenting and for the doctor to make a differential diagnosis so that the type of headache the patient is suffering from can be treated properly. Without a differential diagnosis, the causes and triggers cannot be addressed and treatment cannot be instituted.

There are many different types of headaches, and each will present various symptoms and syndromes. There are headaches that will affect the whole head, while others will affect the back, the front, or either side of the head. The type of headache we are addressing in this newsletter is one of the most frequent forms of headache suffered by most individuals. That will be the tension headache.

To understand what tension headaches are all about, one most first recognize the symptoms, the causes and triggers associated with the tension headache, and how they affect you. These headaches can cause serious consequences and can have a disastrous impact on your quality of life. Many individuals may not even be aware that the headaches they are suffering with, are tension headaches. More than likely they will just consider them to be migraine headaches. Some individuals will think they have a brain tumor. The average person with headaches will self-treat with over-the counter medications, and in many cases will help alleviate the symptoms caused by their headache.

However, without a differential diagnosis by their healthcare provider, they go on living with the uncertainty of not knowing what is causing the headache. The causes of tension headaches can be attributed to any number of things, and must be identified so that they can be properly addressed and eliminated before relief can be obtained. Read about these triggers in the health hints below.

Health Hints***

Stress is the single most common source, and is the leading cause for other triggers of tension headaches. Depression and just being in a depressive state can trigger a tension headache.
Fatigue and just being tired all the time can act as a trigger.
Spasms of muscles in the neck, jaw, and scalp and across the shoulders precipitate the onset of tension headaches.
Spasms of the jaw muscles can also be attributed to clenching of the teeth while sleeping. If this is the case, a visit to the dentist is needed. A custom fitted mouthpiece may be needed to prevent the clenching.
Pressure or irritation on spinal nerves, either by surrounding tissues, blood vessels, or foramina impingement between the cervical vertebrae. The foramen is the openings through which the nerves exit between the vertebrae.
Posture may be an important consideration and can be the causative factor discussed in the trigger above. A Chiropractor can identify and treat this condition.
Dilation or contractions of blood vessels in proximity of the spinal nerves can cause pressure and a headache.
Hypertension may and can be a causative factor and should be checked during the onset of a headache.
Sleep deprivation can cause headaches. Sleep patterns need to be investigated and improvements made where needed.
Certain foods can be a causative factor in precipitating the onset of a headache. These foods need to be identified and eliminated. Also, the habit of skipping meals can act as a trigger.

Although the individual with a tension headache can still perform their daily functions, in contrast to the individual with a migraine headache who can be incapacitated for 2-3 days, it is important to not become dependent on over-the- counter medications. These medications have their own side-affects and long-term use is not advisable. Eliminate the triggers, and the tension headaches will also be eliminated.

Doc Cane

Copyright, Disclaimer, and Trademark information Copyrightã 1997-2003 Emanuel M. Cane. All rights reserved. Except stated below, this material or parts thereof may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed by any means whatsoever without explicit, written permission from the author.

*************

You may circulate copies of the Doctor’s Senior Exercise & Newsletter by Manually forwarding it, providing you forward the issue in it’s entirety, no fee is involved, and you may forward no more than three issues to any one individual. You may not attach advertising or otherwise modify the text of the newsletter.

*************

PRIVACY POLICY: We do not sell, share or distribute your email address or any other information you offer to any

other company or group, now or in the future.