Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Gadsden office, and Gadsden Family Chiropractic has been able to assist many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults deal with some kind of headache disorder, so this really isn't surprising. One of the most common types of headaches which our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic care can often help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

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

How can you know if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Other than getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes followed by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is triggering them is remedied, it is critical to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts followed 80 people who had frequent cervicogenic headaches. Half received 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 provided the best results.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients greater pain relief and lessened the frequency of headaches that occurred. Furthermore, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Gadsden Family Chiropractic can do for you and your headaches, 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/