Henderson, NV Chiropractic and Cervicogenic Headache

We see a great number of individuals with headaches in our Henderson, NV office, and Dr. Russell and Dr. Janda has been able to aid many of them. For that matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50 percent of all adults deal with some manner of headache disorder, so this really isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches that our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can usually help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from issues in the cervical spine. It could be caused by a problem with either the spine itself (primarily, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be attributable to 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 give you headache pain.

How can you recognize if the headache you are going through is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is causing them is remedied, it is critical to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that offers a great deal of pain relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers looked at 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Half were given chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the optimum results.

Specifically, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and diminished the frequency of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also diminished 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 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/