There is hope for those who suffer from headaches according to a recent research study. Many people suffer from different types of headaches. Some experience tension headaches, others have migraine headaches, others are plagued with sinus headaches, and some develop cluster headaches. One of the unfortunate problems characteristic of people with headaches is that the headache can occur randomly. If the headache is of a debilitating type, it can seriously interfere with a person’s planned activities. I have seen patients have to cancel work trips, vacations, and social engagements due to their condition.
A scientific study published by BioMed Central Musculoskeletal Disorders in February 2016 provides insight into treatment and relief for sufferers of this condition. 130 people in a study compared cervical and thoracic manipulation with mobilization and exercise for the treatment of cervicogenic headaches (headaches caused by cervical dysfunction). The results of this study revealed that 6 to 8 sessions, received over four weeks, of cervical and thoracic manipulation provided greater reductions in headache intensity, frequency, and duration than a treatment course involving mobilization and exercise alone. The study authors add that the benefits of the manipulation persisted when the patients were reexamined three months later.
It is necessary to clarify the terms manipulation and mobilization. Manipulation is a physical procedure performed by a healthcare professional, by hand, that involves quick but gentle movement to restore proper alignment and movement to an area of the spine. Mobilization involves a slow rocking or stretching maneuver by the health professional with the hand on the involved area.
In the aforementioned research study, the treatment targeted the upper bones of the neck. These are called the vertebrae of the upper cervical spine.
Those who had this area manipulated experienced improvement in the decrease in intensity and decrease in the frequency of their headaches. In addition, their headaches interfered less with activities of daily living and the quality of their daily life. These benefits persisted when the patients were reassessed three months later. Those who received mobilization as their primary form of treatment did not experience a similar benefit.
The profession that performs more manipulative therapy treatments than all others is chiropractic. Doctors of chiropractic receive hundreds of hours of manipulation training. Chiropractic education involves five years of study that includes courses such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and others. All chiropractic institutions have a training process for their students to be considered the “gold standard” in delivering the best possible manipulative treatment. It should be noted that chiropractors use the terms “manipulation” and “adjustment” interchangeably.
Although chiropractors use many forms of therapy, such as exercise and physiological therapies, their primary focus of treatment is considered to be spinal manipulation. Because of chiropractors’ extensive training and clinical experience with manipulation, researchers consider the chiropractic profession to be superior health care specialists for this type of treatment.
Although there are certainly other causes for headaches, most people with this condition should investigate whether they are candidates for cervical spine manipulation to alleviate their condition.