Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

Alexandria Chiropractic Care and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a large number of people with headaches in our Alexandria office, and Dr. Wagner has been able to support many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one half of all adults have difficulty with some sort of headache condition, so this really isn't surprising. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches that our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic treatment can usually help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from problems in the cervical spine. It can be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be caused by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache issues.

How do you tell if the headache you are being affected by 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 combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is generating them is remedied, it is important to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that can provide a great deal of pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Half of them received chiropractic care and the other fifty percent underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the most beneficial outcomes.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments offered patients greater pain relief and reduced the frequency of headaches that occurred. Additionally, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

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