Chiropractic Care Shown to Be Effective for Headache

There are many different kinds of headache, but one of the most common types is known as "cervicogenic headache," or those that start in your neck.

Dr. Harrell sees a lot of patients in our Tumwater office who are struggling with recurring headaches. Thankfully, chiropractic therapy can usually help, potentially diminishing these types of headaches by 50 percent, and research confirms it.

Research Supports Chiropractic Therapy Helps With Cervicogenic Headaches

A study was conducted involving 80 participants who reported experiencing at least five cervicogenic headaches during the previous three months. The goal was to discover how effective chiropractic care was for this type of head pain, as well as to ascertain the number of treatment sessions necessary to achieve a positive effect.

The individuals were divided into four separate groups, so that each group was similar in age, gender, number of cervicogenic headaches, and their intensity. Of the four groups, two engaged in chiropractic treatments and two received light massage. Furthermore, one group assigned to each treatment received eight sessions and the other patients received twice that amount.

Each person was assessed based on head pain, neck pain, and disability prior to the study and 12 and 24 weeks after treatment was complete. The researchers found that those who received chiropractic as opposed to massage reported fewer headaches at the conclusion of the study. Furthermore, improvements were maintained when checked six months after treatment ended.

Furthermore, patients who were taking medications for their headaches were able to lower their intake after completing the study. Those who received chiropractic care had lower medication usage 24 weeks post-study.

We Can Help People Find Relief From Head Pain

Dr. Harrell has helped many patients who were suffering from headache pain in our Tumwater office. Call us today at (360) 489-0635 for more information or for an appointment.

Reference

Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.