Alexandria, KY Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a large number of folks with headaches in our Alexandria, KY office, and Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. has been able to help many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that 50 percent of all adults deal with some type of headache condition, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most prevalent varieties of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from a problem in the cervical spine. It might be attributable to a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, 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 leads to constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How can you recognize if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from being given 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.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Since cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is inducing them is remedied, it is essential to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts looked at 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. Half of them received chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic offered the best effects.

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

To find out what Dr. Michael Wagner D.C. 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/