Depew Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a considerable number of people with headaches in our Depew office, and Dr. Palmer has been able to provide relief for many of them. For that matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of all adults have difficulties with some type of headache problem, so this actually isn’t surprising. One of the most common types of headaches which our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from problems in the cervical spine. It can easily be because of an issue with either the spine itself (specifically, 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 produces compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you tell if the headache you are going through is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical 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.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Since cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is inducing them is remedied, it is essential to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts studied 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. One-half were given 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 found that chiropractic offered the optimum outcomes.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients more pain relief and decreased the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Palmer 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/