Headaches

One of the reported causes of both migraine and tension headache is cervical muscle tension and spinal joint abnormalities in the neck.   When considering treatment for headaches, whether it’s a tension-type or migraine, there are many choices available.  The question is which of the many options offer the best benefit?  

One study compared the effectiveness of physical therapy (PT) to that of relaxation and thermal biofeedback (RTB). Both groups were treated using one of these approaches, and if at least a 50% improvement was not achieved, the other form of treatment was then utilized.  Results were calculated at 3, 6, and 12 month timeframes.  The PT group of 30 females used standard physical therapy approaches that included: … Read more…

A recent study (Li C, Xiu-ling Z, Hong D, Yue-qiang T, Hong-sheng Z. Comparative study on effects of manipulation treatment and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] on patients with cervicogenic headache J Chin Integrat Med 2007;5(4)DOI:10.3736/jcm20070408)  compared alternative treatments for patients suffering from cervicogenic headaches, headaches related to/caused by your neck. Patients will typically have pain with neck motion and also limited mobility. There may also be a history of a neck injury such as a whiplash or head trauma. The study of seventy patients was randomized to minimize bias. Patients either had TENS (nerve stimulation) or manipulations. They were given treatments every other day for forty days (about 20 visits). … Read more…

Headaches are a very common problem seen in chiropractic offices.  Most types of headaches are manageable without requiring an extensive workup.  Headaches can vary from mild and barely noticeable to extreme, so much so that it results in total disability restricted to bed rest in a dark, quiet room. 

The ability to track the treatment or care approach being received is difficult.  This is because there are not any good, reliable tests for most types of headaches, especially the most common tension-type of headache.  Even vascular headaches such as migraine and cluster varieties are not associated with reliable tests that can track progress or change.  One inexpensive, reliable method that is self-administered is called the “Headache Disability Index” (HDI).  … Read more…