Sandusky Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a great number of folks with headaches in our Sandusky office, and Dr. Shaw has been able to provide relief for many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of all adults have difficulty with some sort of headache problems, so this actually isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches that our patients are afflicted with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can usually help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from an issue in the cervical spine. It might be as a result of a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine contributes to compression or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How can you find out if the headache you are being affected by is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a frequent 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.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is initiating them is corrected, it is crucial to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers studied 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Half of them got chiropractic care and the other half underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the most beneficial effects.

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

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