Chiropractic Effective for Cervicogenic Headache

We see a lot of people with headaches in our Cary office, and Swiss Spine Clinic has been able to help many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults deal with some type of headache condition, so this actually isn't shocking. One of the most common sorts of headaches which our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic care can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be attributable to a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine results in compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache discomfort.

How do you identify if the headache you are going through is a cervicogenic headache? Besides obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is causing them is corrected, it is critical to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the best results.

Specifically, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more significant pain relief and diminished the number of headaches that occurred. In addition to that, it also mitigated the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Swiss Spine Clinic can do for you and your headache pain, call our office today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you deserve!

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/