We see a lot of men and women with headaches in our Tenino office, and Mr. Kenney has been able to provide relief for many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50 percent of all adults have a problem with some type of headache disorder, so this actually isn’t surprising. One of the most common types of headaches that our patients struggle with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can usually help.
What is a Cervicogenic Headache?
A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be thanks to a condition with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be caused by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine brings about compaction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.
How do you recognize if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent 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.
How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches
Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is inducing them is corrected, it is critical to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that provides a great deal of relief.
In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic delivered the best results.
In particular, this study found that chiropractic adjustments provided patients better pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. In addition, it also mitigated the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.
To find out what Mr. Kenney can do for you and your headache pain, call us 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/