Cary Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a great number of people with headaches in our Cary office, and Dr. Thomas Gugerli has been able to provide relief for many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 50% of all adults have difficulties with some sort of headache disorder, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches that our patients are afflicted with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from a problem in the cervical spine. It can be because of an issue with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine contributes to compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How can you tell if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is triggering them is corrected, it is vital to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a great deal of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic offered the optimum outcomes.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments provided patients more pain relief and reduced the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Thomas Gugerli can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!

References

• Haas M, Schneider M, Vavrek D. Illustrating risk difference and number needed to treat from a randomized controlled trial of spinal manipulation for cervicogenic headache. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010 18(9).
• World Health Organization. (2012, October). Headache disorders. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/