We see a large number of men and women with headaches in our Buffalo office, and Dr. John Nowak has been able to support many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50% of all adults have difficulties with some type of headache disorder, so this actually isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent types of headaches that our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can often help.
Cervicogenic Headaches Explained
A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be because of a problem with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it may be due to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine creates compaction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can result in headache pain.
How do you identify if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally followed by 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 issue is triggering them is corrected, it is essential to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that offers a great deal of relief.
In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Half of them 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 discovered that chiropractic offered the optimum results.
Specifically, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients greater pain relief and diminished the number of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.
To find out what Dr. John Nowak 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/
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