Dr. Hagan Asks some important questions of interest to Hayward residents - Chiropractor Hayward Dr. Hagan Asks...

Will chiropractic adjustments make my spine too loose?
No. Only the spinal joints that are fixated and "locked up" receive attention. The occasional spinal joint that moves too much is passed over so weakened muscles and ligaments can strengthen and heal.
What's the difference between sick care and health care?
Sick care is largely about relieving or suppressing symptoms. Health care is about improving performance. While sick care is about how you feel, health care is about how you function. Sick care is what you do to treat an obvious problem, and health care is what you do to avoid the problem and advance your well-being.

What is Brain Freeze?

Headaches and neck pain

You’ve just bought a nice refreshing ice cream cone on a hot day. You’re sitting down on a park bench, enjoying the flavorful cold sensation in your mouth when…OUCH! That sharp pain in your head signals that you’re a victim of the dreaded “brain freeze,” also known as an ice cream headache.

What causes brain freeze? Sometimes, when you eat something very cold and it comes in contact with the center of the roof of your mouth, the cold temperature activates certain nerves. These nerves cause the blood vessels in the brain to swell in order to prevent the loss of body heat, causing the acute pain that many experience. The pain rarely lasts for more than 10-20 seconds, although often it seems much longer!

How can you avoid brain freeze? Well, for starters, you can keep the cold food away from the roof of your mouth! If you experience brain freeze – you need to warm up the roof of your mouth quickly. You can do that by touching the roof of your mouth with the underside of your tongue, which is warmer than the top of your tongue. Or, you can drink a hot or warm beverage – or even water – that is room temperature! You can also press your thumb to the roof of your mouth!

Sometimes brain freeze results from eating cold food very quickly or from taking bites that are too big! So slow down and savor that ice cream cone! Brain freeze won’t kill you, but it sure can make you uncomfortable!