Depew Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

Depew Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a lot of individuals with headaches in our Depew office, and Dr. Palmer has been able to aid many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults struggle with some kind of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t shocking. One of the most common kinds of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be because of a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine brings about compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache pain.

How can you determine if the headache you are being affected by is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is causing them is corrected, it is crucial to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that offers a great deal of pain relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers evaluated 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Half of them got chiropractic care and the other fifty percent underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial outcomes.

Specifically, this study found that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more significant pain relief and decreased the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also diminished 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/