Asheville Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a great number of folks with headaches in our Asheville office, and Dr. Myers has been able to help many of them. For that matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50% of all adults struggle with some kind of headache problem, so this really isn’t a surprise. One of the most typical varieties of headaches that our patients are afflicted by is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from a problem in the cervical spine. It can be attributable to an issue with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine contributes to squeezing or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How can you know if the headache you are going through is a cervicogenic headache? Other than obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Chiropractic to the Rescue

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is causing them is remedied, it is crucial to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that can provide a considerable amount of relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent were given 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 provided the most beneficial effects.

Specifically, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments provided patients more significant pain relief and diminished the frequency of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Myers 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/