Napa Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a large number of folks with headaches in our Napa office, and Dr. Bettencourt has been able to support many of them. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 50% of all adults deal with some type of headache problem, so this really isn’t shocking. One of the most common kinds of headaches that our patients suffer from is cervicogenic headache which, thankfully, chiropractic can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from problems in the cervical spine. It could be attributable to a problem with either the spine itself (specifically, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it might be triggered by a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This problem in your spine creates squeezing or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How do you identify if the headache you are suffering from is a cervicogenic headache? Besides receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare specialist, a common symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes combined with pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Since cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is initiating them is remedied, it is vital to get treatment instead of just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that offers a great deal of headache pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, experts evaluated 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Fifty percent were given 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 delivered the most beneficial outcomes.

In particular, this study found that chiropractic adjustments gave patients greater pain relief and lowered the frequency of headaches that occurred. Moreover, it also reduced the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Bettencourt can do for you and your headache pain, 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/