Are Your Headaches Difficult To Get Rid Of? How Chiropractic Treatment Can Help Cervicogenic Headaches

Many people suffer from headache pain that is not fully relieved by medications or any other conventional methods. One interesting alternative treatment for headaches is a chiropractic adjustment. In particular, one type of headache that seems to respond well to chiropractic treatment is known as a cervicogenic headache. The following article examines this interesting health issue in more detail. 

What They Are 

Cervicogenic headaches are different from most others forms of head pain because they do not originate in the head itself. These types of headaches are caused by problems in the top portion of your spine, which is called the cervical spine.  

Sometimes the problems develop because of an injury to your neck area, such as getting into a car accident. This type of serious injury can damage certain nerves in the neck that are connected to your head, which can result in head pain. Another possible cause is degeneration of the spine, such as with arthritis.  

The pain in your head might be focused on the back of your skull in some instances, but it can also travel to the sides of your head and behind your eyes. Cervicogenic headaches are unilateral, meaning the pain is typically felt on one side of the head. You may also have pain in your neck simultaneously with your headache.  

Spinal Manipulation 

One of the main techniques that chiropractors use to treat cervicogenic headaches is spinal manipulation. The practitioner will adjust the cervical spine manually by twisting or moving your head and neck with micro-movements.  

Scientific studies have shown that this type of treatment does have a positive effect on many patients who are suffering from cervicogenic headaches. For example, a medical study that involved 53 patients showed that those patients who had spinal manipulation had a better result than the patients in the group who did not. 

The patients were all treated for three weeks, one group with spinal manipulation and the other with soft tissue massage. Although both groups showed improvement at the end of their treatment, those who had been treated with spinal manipulation had the greatest benefit, according to the authors of the study 

If you suffer from cervicogenic headaches, traditional treatment approaches might not be sufficient to deal with your pain effectively. Fortunately, chiropractic care is able to help victims of this type of headache in many cases. For more information about this intriguing subject, talk with a professional, like Smith Chiropractic, in your area.

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