Headaches
Ninety to 95 percent of all headaches are headaches that originate
from the neck. These types of headaches are often blamed on stress.
The term cervicogen headache means "headache originating
from the neck." While headache is one of the most common disorders
from which people suffer, a greater number of them are being found
to be caused by disorders of the neck and upper spine. The neck,
or cervical spine, is also one of the most overlooked areas as
a causative factor in headaches.
Nerves exit the spinal cord at each spinal level and pass over
and between the joints and muscles of
the spine. In the lower neck, these nerves exit and supply the
sensation and muscle strength to the arms.
Often when one of these nerves is irritated or pinched, the individual
experiences pain and tingling in the
arm. These same spinal nerves from the upper three spinal levels
of the neck go over the skull and provide most of the sensation
to the back and sides of the head, and to the forehead over the
eyes. These nerves can be irritated by the same joint and muscle
problems that, in the lower neck, cause pain and tingling in the
arms. When the upper nerves are irritated, headache radiating from
the back of the skull to the temple or over and behind one or both
of the eyes may result.
The most appropriate treatment for this type of headache is chiropractic
manipulation. Several studies of this treatment for cervicogenic
headache have been performed. Within two weeks of treatment, 85
percent have a significant reduction in the headaches.
Most of the patients in these studies had had years of other unsuccessful
medical treatments.
The more that is learned about headaches, the more apparent two
facts become. The first is that most headaches are caused by nerve
irritation in the upper neck, and the second is that chiropractic
manipulation is the best treatment for this common problem.
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