Healing Cervicogenic Headaches with Chiropractic Treatments

By Kristi Patrice Carter

Cervicogenic headaches are often the result of a neck injury. Unlike many common forms of headaches, such as migraine, and cluster headaches, they often do not respond well to over the counter medications such as analgesics, and common pain medications such as Panadol.

Although the Cervicogenic headache sufferer will note some relief from the symptoms of pain experienced when taking a pain relieving medication, once the preparation has worn off, the symptoms, and pain will return. In order to gain relief from Cervicogenic headaches, treating the symptoms simply isn’t enough, a more holistic approach must be taken for long-term relief.

One of the most effective ways of relieving Cervicogenic pain is with Chiropractic treatment. A chiropractor manipulates the bones, and muscles in the neck areas that have moved out of alignment to assist the body to bring fresh blood into the area to create a healing environment. This type of treatment has been around for hundreds of years, although up until recently, it has never been widely accepted by medical professionals.

Chiropractic manipulation, often known as Subluxation, has been documented as early as the ancient Egyptians, and is the concept of applying a precise adjustment through pressure on the afflicted area, as opposed to the generalized maneuvers that were used earlier by osteopaths.

Chiropractors emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and therefore do not prescribe medication to their patients, nor do they operate, or perform surgery on their subjects. It is suggested that this may be among many of the reasons why health conscious people seek chiropractic treatments to cure their ailments.

Evidence To Suggest The Effectiveness Of Chiropractic Treatments

According to recent studies published in the Journal of Manipulative, And Physiological Therapeutics, the results indicated that spinal manipulation had a significant positive effect in cases of Cervicogenic headache. During the course of the study, 53 participants who were sufferers of Cervicogenic headaches were studied closely. Half of the subjects were given chiropractic manipulation as treatment, while the other half of the subjects received deep friction, and low laser massage.

The study lasted over the course of a three-week period. While the two groups of sufferers did notice improvement with the care given to them, the group that were involved in the soft tissue treatments noted only a significant decrease in the hours per day that they were experiencing headache. The manipulation group showed improvement in all three of the measurement criterion being studied.

Those who received chiropractic treatment in the study noticed a 36% decrease in their pain medication usage, their headache hours were decreased by 69%, and their headache intensity had also decreased by 36%

Criteria For Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headaches are often categorized by pain in the neck area, which may increase to include the forehead, temples, and the ears. The condition is often aggravated by certain neck movements, or sustained neck posture. The patient may experience limited movement, or stiffness, and moderate to severe pain while making passive neck movements. Additionally, the muscles surrounding the area may become tender, or painful to the touch.

While chiropractic treatment is an effective treatment for Cervicogenic headaches, those suffering severe headache symptoms should consult a doctor, or health care professional to rule out more severe underlying causes of their headaches before proceeding with chiropractic treatment.