Mt Sterling Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a lot of people with headaches in our Mt Sterling office, and Dr. Linton has been able to aid many of them. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that half of all adults have a problem with some kind of headache problem, so this really isn’t surprising. One of the most frequent types of headaches which our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Defined

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from problems in the cervical spine. It might be because of a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be caused by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine leads to constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.

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

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is initiating them is remedied, it is important 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 recurring cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other half 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 results.

In particular, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients more pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. On top of that, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Linton can do for you and your headaches, call our office 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/