Henderson, NV Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a considerable number of individuals with headaches in our Henderson, NV office, and Dr. Russell and Dr. Janda has been able to help many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50 percent of all adults have difficulty with some kind of headache condition, so this actually isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent sorts of headaches that our patients experience is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can generally help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that comes from problems in the cervical spine. It can be caused by an issue with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine contributes to constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can give you headache pain.

How do you tell if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from being given a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is causing them is corrected, it is crucial to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers studied 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. One-half were given chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the most beneficial effects.

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

To find out what Dr. Russell and Dr. Janda 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/