Noblesville Chiropractic Effective for Cervicogenic Headache

We see a lot of individuals with headaches in our Noblesville office, and Dr. Dahlager has been able to help many of them. Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults struggle with some manner of headache problem, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches which our patients deal with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can often help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from an issue in the cervical spine. It can be due to an issue with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine can cause compaction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache pain.

How can you tell if the headache you are going through is a cervicogenic headache? Besides getting a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common 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 with Cervicogenic Headaches

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is critical to receive treatment as opposed to 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 printed in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Half received chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic offered the best outcomes.

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

To find out what Dr. Dahlager can do for you and your headache pain, 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/