Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a large number of individuals with headaches in our Clarksdale, Hernando, & Olive Branch office, and Dr. Kasprack has been able to provide relief for many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that one half of all adults have difficulty with some sort of headache problems, so this really isn't shocking. One of the most frequent types of headaches that our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic therapy can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from an issue in the cervical spine. It could be caused by an issue with either the spine itself (primarily, 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 brings about constriction or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache issues.

How can you determine if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes coupled with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is causing them is corrected, it is crucial to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that provides a great deal of pain relief.

In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent were given chiropractic care and the other half underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial results.

Specifically, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more significant pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. In addition, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

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