Juneau Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a great number of men and women with headaches in our Juneau office, and Dr. Messerschmidt has been able to assist many of them. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults deal with some kind of headache problem, so this really isn’t a surprise. One of the most common types of headaches that our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily for us, chiropractic can often help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from a problem in the cervical spine. It can be due to a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be a result of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine produces squeezing or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How can you determine if the headache you are experiencing is a cervicogenic headache? Besides being given a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Since cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is inducing them is corrected, it is critical to receive treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that offers a considerable amount of relief.

In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received chiropractic care and the other 50% engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the best results.

Specifically, this study revealed that chiropractic adjustments offered patients more significant pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. In addition to that, it also lessened the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Messerschmidt 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/
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