Rockville Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a lot of men and women with headaches in our Rockville office, and Dr. Aazami has been able to provide relief for many of them. Indeed, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults deal with some manner of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent kinds of headaches that our patients deal with is cervicogenic headache which, luckily, chiropractic can usually help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

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

How do you determine if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Aside from obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is sometimes combined with 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 inducing them is remedied, it is critical to receive treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that provides a great deal of relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts looked at 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent received 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 found that chiropractic provided the most beneficial effects.

Specifically, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments offered patients more significant pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. Additionally, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Aazami 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/