Moon Township Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Moon Township office, and Dr. Spiropoulos has been able to provide relief for many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults struggle with some manner of headache condition, so this really isn’t surprising. One of the most frequent types of headaches which our patients are afflicted with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can commonly help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from an issue in the cervical spine. It can be due to a condition with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be triggered by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache pain.

How do you find out if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Since cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is triggering them is remedied, it is essential to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that offers a considerable amount of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers followed 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent were given chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the best outcomes.

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

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