Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Tumwater office, and Dr. Harrell has been able to help many of them. For that matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults deal with some sort of headache disorder, so this actually isn't a surprise. One of the most typical types of headaches that our patients deal with is cervicogenic headache which, thankfully, chiropractic adjustments can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from issues in the cervical spine. It can be thanks to an issue with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be a result of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine leads to compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache issues.

How do you tell if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is causing them is corrected, it is critical to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of pain relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Half got chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the most beneficial effects.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients enhanced pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Harrell can do for you and your headache pain, call us 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/