Stacy Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a lot of folks with headaches in our Stacy office, and Dr. Ulvin has been able to provide relief for many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 50% of all adults have difficulty with some type of headache problems, so this actually isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches that our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can commonly help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Defined

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from a problem in the cervical spine. It can easily be due to a problem with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine leads to squeezing or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How do you recognize if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is inducing them is remedied, it is critical to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that offers a considerable amount of pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. One-half got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the most beneficial results.

In particular, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments gave patients better pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. On top of that, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Ulvin can do for you and your headaches, 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/