Dr. Roubal's Omaha, Nebraska blog

Omaha, Nebraska

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Headaches and Neck Surgery

I am surprised and disheartened by the number of headache patients I see who have had neck fusion surgery. Why am I seeing this? It isn't because the surgery was successful in controlling the headaches! I am always optimistic in treatment outcomes, but I have to admit the history of a failed surgery makes me nervous about results. I have just had such a patient. I am happy to report her results have exceeded any one's expectations. It truly was rewarding to me personally to see the fantastic improvement in her pain level. I guess the bottom line is to explore conservative treatment before any surgery is undertaken.

posted by Dr. Roubal at 8:48 AM

Headaches, headaches, headaches

Headaches, headaches, headaches; this seems to be all I write about. Oh, yes, this is a blog about headaches. There are many causes of headaches. My task is to find the cause and treat the cause. The typical doctor treats the symptoms, unless, of course, there is a brain tumor or some gross medical issue. Our typical patients are on several medications for their symptoms. We have great success is minimizing or eliminating most medications! Because, we treat the cause.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

posted by Dr. Roubal at 8:37 AM

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Head and Neck Pain

I find a lot of head pain arises from neck (cervical) problems. Very large muscles attach at the base of the skull. If the lower jaw isn't correctly positioned, the result is a forward head posture. This is a huge contributor to headaches and facial pain. By properly determining the proper jaw position, posture improves and then pain levels improve also. We can also speed up the healing process by use of chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, etc. In my office, we add laser therapy, ultrasound, micro current, and trigger point treatment. On those very stubborn cases, I can add injections of healing medications. We routinely see resolution of chronic headaches, neck aches, and migraines quickly; even those pains that have been present for decades!

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

posted by Dr. Roubal at 8:30 AM

Monday, February 8, 2010

Headaches

The number one issue that I treat in my office is headache pain. Sometimes that is the only symptom reported. Patients often have a hard time believing their headaches could be related to how their jaws fit together. If I wouldn't see great results every day, I too, likely would be skeptical. The time the headaches are present is a critical analysis tool for me. My task is to gather the history, do the examination, and formulate a treatment that will work. I have many tools available as I have studied these problems for over 30 years. You can also go to my local website, www.whyallthispain.com for addition information.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

posted by Dr. Roubal at 8:52 AM

Friday, February 5, 2010

Migraines

I am drawing a blank right now, but this last weekend, I read an article in the newspaper where one of the NFL players would likely miss the game because of a migraine. It is apparent that all normal tests and typical migraine treatments have failed to help him. I wonder if his migraine could be related to jaw position and muscle problems? I have had many long standing "migraine: problems go away with proper jaw alignment treatment. I would encourage exploring this connection for those who have not been treated successfully with traditional migraine treatment, or for those who like to see if can stop taking medication for their migraines.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

posted by Dr. Roubal at 11:05 AM

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Sleep Disorders

I have a patient who is complaining of morning headaches and daytime tooth tenderness. Tooth pain down in to the gum as she describes it. The sleep apnea screening test shows this is a problem. She has refused an overnight sleep study to absolutely confirm the presence of a sleep disorder, which must be diagnosed by a physician. The headaches and tooth pain is likely from tooth clenching all night long in the body's attempt to open or stabilize the likely collapsing airway. If she refuses to be treated for her sleep issues, the treatment we will be providing will be to lesson the effects of her clenching. Unfortunately, we will not be able to totally eliminate her discomfort, but I am hoping for a great improvement in her symptoms. Sometimes, patients choose for less than optimal treatment for their own reasons.

Yours for better health, Dr. Roubal

posted by Dr. Roubal at 8:24 AM

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