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Redondo Beach Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a large number of people with headaches in our Redondo Beach office, and Dr. Vinick has been able to provide relief for many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50 percent of all adults have a problem with some type of headache problem, so this certainly isn’t shocking. One of the most typical kinds of headaches that our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, fortunately, chiropractic can commonly help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that arises from a problem in the cervical spine. It might be due to a problem with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be a result of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine leads to compression or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can bring on headache pain.

How do you know if the headache you are struggling with is a cervicogenic headache? Other than receiving a diagnosis from a healthcare expert, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally followed by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps with Cervicogenic Headaches

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever problem is initiating them is corrected, it is crucial to receive treatment rather than just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an excellent approach, and one that can provide a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study published in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers followed 80 people who had frequent cervicogenic headaches. Half of them 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 offered the best effects.

In particular, this study noted that chiropractic adjustments offered patients more pain relief and lowered the number of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also minimized the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Vinick can do for you and your headache pain, call us 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/
May 07, 2018
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