Woburn & Chelmsford, MA Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a considerable number of individuals with headaches in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has been able to support many of them. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that one half of all adults have difficulty with some kind of headache problems, so this certainly isn’t a surprise. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches which our patients have problems with is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can generally help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from a problem in the cervical spine. It could be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (specifically, 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 brings about constriction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring about headache pain.

How can you find out if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a common 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.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Considering cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is vital to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent solution, and one that offers a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study printed in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers evaluated 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Half of them received chiropractic care and the other 50% underwent light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was discovered that chiropractic delivered the most beneficial results.

In particular, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and decreased the frequency of headaches that occurred. Additionally, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin 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/