Arlington Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Arlington office, and Dr. Ernst has been able to assist many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults deal with some manner of headache problem, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most typical types of headaches that our patients are afflicted by is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from problems in the cervical spine. It can be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be brought on by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine results in compaction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you tell if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes followed by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is triggering them is corrected, it is important to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study printed in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists studied 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. One-half were given chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the optimum effects.

In particular, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments offered patients better pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. Additionally, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Ernst 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/