We see a great number of men and women with headaches in our South Buffalo office, and Dr. John Nowak has been able to assist many of them. Actually, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50 percent of all adults have difficulty with some kind of headache disorder, so this certainly isn’t shocking. One of the most typical types of headaches which our patients deal with is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can usually help.
What is a Cervicogenic Headache?
A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from a problem in the cervical spine. It can easily be because of a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be due to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine produces constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.
How can you find out if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from being given a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.
Chiropractic to the Rescue
Since cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is causing them is remedied, it is vital to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that provides a great deal of headache pain relief.
In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. Half of them were given chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic delivered the best results.
Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. On top of that, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.
To find out what Dr. John Nowak can do for you and your headaches, call us 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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