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Woburn & Chelmsford, MA Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a considerable number of folks with headaches in our Woburn & Chelmsford, MA office, and Dr. James Ellis & Dr. Lyndsay Martin has been able to aid many of them. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that one half of all adults have a problem with some kind of headache problems, so this certainly isn’t surprising. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches that our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, thankfully, chiropractic can usually help.

Cervicogenic Headaches Explained

A cervicogenic headache is one that stems from problems in the cervical spine. It can be caused by an issue with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be because of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine can cause compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you know if the headache you are being affected by is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from being given a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes associated with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Because cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever issue is triggering them is corrected, it is essential to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective solution, and one that provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists evaluated 80 people who had repeated cervicogenic headaches. Half of them got chiropractic care and the other half engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was assessed 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was discovered that chiropractic offered the best effects.

Specifically, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and lessened the number of headaches that occurred. Furthermore, 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 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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