We see a great number of men and women with headaches in our New York office, and Dr. John Phelts has been able to help many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that half of all adults struggle with some sort of headache problems, so this actually isn’t shocking. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches which our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can usually help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

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

How can you identify if the headache you are being affected by is a cervicogenic headache? Apart from receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is occasionally combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

Headache Relief with Chiropractic

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is vital to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that provides a great deal of headache pain relief.

In one study released in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts followed 80 people who had regular cervicogenic headaches. Half of them received chiropractic care and the other fifty percent engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic provided the most beneficial outcomes.

Specifically, this study found that chiropractic adjustments gave patients better pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. In addition, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. John Phelts can do for you and your headaches, 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/