Cary Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a considerable number of folks with headaches in our Cary office, and Dr. Gugerli has been able to assist many of them. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50 percent of all adults deal with some type of headache disorder, so this really isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from an issue in the cervical spine. It might be a result of an issue with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How can you distinguish if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Other than receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is inducing them is corrected, it is crucial to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that can provide a considerable amount of relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. One-half got chiropractic care and the other half underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic delivered the best outcomes.

In particular, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients greater pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. In addition to that, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Gugerli can do for you and your headache pain, call our office 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/