Chiropractic Effective for Cervicogenic Headache

Asheville Chiropractic Treatment Effective for Cervicogenic Headache

We see a great number of people with headaches in our Asheville office, and Dr. Myers has been able to provide relief for many of them. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults struggle with some manner of headache problem, so this really isn't surprising. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches that our patients are afflicted by is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic care can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from issues in the cervical spine. It can be due to a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.

How do you determine if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is triggering them is remedied, it is essential to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that offers a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. Half of them got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the most beneficial outcomes.

In particular, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments gave patients greater pain relief and diminished the frequency of headaches that occurred. In addition, it also mitigated the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Myers 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/