We see a large number of people with headaches in our Highland Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota office, and Robert C Slater, DC has been able to help many of them. Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50 percent of all adults deal with some sort of headache disorder, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent sorts of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can usually help.
Cervicogenic Headaches Defined
A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from an issue in the cervical spine. It might be as a result of a problem with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine can cause constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.
How do you know if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Other than obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.
How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches
Considering cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is triggering them is corrected, it is vital to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that can provide a great deal of pain relief.
In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent got chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial outcomes.
In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients greater pain relief and reduced the number of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.
To find out what Robert C Slater, DC can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you deserve!
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/
