Harleysville, PA Chiropractic Beats Massage for Cervicogenic Headaches

We see a considerable number of folks with headaches in our Harleysville, PA office, and Dr. Szilagyi has been able to support many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 50 percent of all adults deal with some kind of headache condition, so this really isn’t unexpected. One of the most frequent varieties of headaches that our patients struggle with is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can often help.

What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

A cervicogenic headache is one that originates from a problem in the cervical spine. It can be as a result of a problem with either the spine itself (particularly, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it could be attributed to a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine can cause compaction or aggravation of the spinal nerves, which can contribute to headache pain.

How can you know if the headache you are feeling is a cervicogenic headache? Besides being given a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a frequent symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or pain in your neck. This is occasionally accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.

How Chiropractic Helps

Because cervicogenic headaches will not go away until whatever issue is triggering 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 provides a considerable amount of headache pain relief.

In one study circulated in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, specialists followed 80 people who had recurring cervicogenic headaches. Half of them got chiropractic care and the other 50% engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was examined 12 and 24 weeks after the procedures and it was found that chiropractic delivered the best results.

In particular, this study uncovered that chiropractic adjustments gave patients more pain relief and reduced the number of headaches that occurred. On top of that, it also diminished the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.

To find out what Dr. Szilagyi can do for you and your headaches, 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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    Dr. Joseph Szilagyi is a chiropractor serving Harleysville and the surrounding area. Our chiropractor and the rest of the welcoming team at Szilagyi Chiropractic are committed to providing chiropractic solutions to address your unique needs, whether you are experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, or even muscular tightness and tension. You may be searching for pain relief after an accident, experiencing an injury, or if you suffer from a specific condition like chronic back pain or a spinal condition.