Effective Treatment of Headache with Chiropractic

If you suffer from chronic headaches, you may be tired of constantly reaching for medications every time the pain begins. Chiropractic care is a safe, powerful alternative with a proven ability to reduce head pain.Headaches are associated with a broad range of causes. Cervicogenic headaches are headaches caused by disorders in the neck. These headaches may affect up to 20% of patients with head pain. Cervicogenic headaches are frequently the result of injury or trauma and present similar symptoms of migraines and tension headaches. However, cervicogenic headaches can also restrict a patient's range of motion making it particularly debilitating and harmful for a patient's quality of life.

One study shows how chiropractic adjustments can substantially help patients suffering from cervicogenic headaches. The study compared the effects of chiropractic treatment in comparison to light massage for 80 patients with cervicogenic headaches. The patients who received chiropractic adjustments improved significantly more than patients who received light massages in a number of ways. The chiropractic group experienced a greater reduction in their number headaches and experienced less pain than the group who received light massage. The chiropractic patients also found headaches interfered less with their daily activities and were less disabled by their headaches than before.

Researchers concluded that chiropractic adjustments have a distinct clinical advantage over light massage in treating headaches in terms of number, severity, and disability. This research demonstrates how chiropractic care can create real, lasting benefits for people with chronic headaches.

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.