We see a lot of individuals with headaches in our State College, PA office, and Drs. Matt & Annie Reyes has been able to provide relief for many of them. Of course, the World Health Organization (WHO) states that half of all adults have difficulties with some manner of headache disorder, so this actually isn’t shocking. One of the most frequent types of headaches that our patients endure is cervicogenic headache which, happily, chiropractic can commonly help.
What is a Cervicogenic Headache?
A cervicogenic headache is one that starts from an issue in the cervical spine. It can easily be caused by a condition with either the spine itself (in particular, the vertebrae, joints, or discs), or it can be a result of a problem in the muscles and tendons of your neck. This dysfunction in your spine brings about squeezing or irritation of the spinal nerves, which can generate headache pain.
How can you distinguish if the headache you are enduring is a cervicogenic headache? Other than obtaining a diagnosis from a healthcare professional, a typical symptom of cervicogenic headaches is tenderness or discomfort in your neck. This is sometimes accompanied by pain in the back of your head or between your shoulder blades.
How Chiropractic Helps
Seeing that cervicogenic headaches will not subside until whatever problem is generating them is corrected, it is essential to get treatment as opposed to just trying to "wait it out." Chiropractic care is an effective approach, and one that can provide a great deal of relief.
In one study reported in Chiropractic & Osteopathy, researchers followed 80 people who had recurrent cervicogenic headaches. Half were given chiropractic care and the other 50% engaged in light massage therapy. Each participant was evaluated 12 and 24 weeks after the treatment and it was found that chiropractic provided the best effects.
In particular, this study found that chiropractic adjustments offered patients enhanced pain relief and reduced the frequency of headaches that occurred. What's more, it also mitigated the disability that resulted from these painful headaches.
To find out what Drs. Matt & Annie Reyes can do for you and your headaches, call us today. We'll do our best to get you the pain relief you need!
References
Dr. Matt Reyes was born and raised in Apalachin, a small town in Upstate New York. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Fitness Development from the State University at New York College at Cortland. He then fulfilled his ambition to become a Doctor of Chiropractic when he graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 2013.
