Upper Cervical Care Helps Headache Patients

Headaches are one of the leading reasons why patients ask for upper cervical care. That's because these are common for those who have suffered an injury. Whether trauma occurs to the head or the neck, headaches may begin right away or even a number of years later. Head trauma may include a concussion. Neck trauma may be in the form of whiplash. Let's take a closer look at how headaches work and how upper cervical care can help. 

What types of injuries can result in headaches?

• Car accidents
• Sports injuries
• Slip and fall injuries
• Fights

These are just a few of the ways someone may end up with chronic head pain. However, whether the injury occurred to the head or the neck, the two are connected to each other and are often both affected. This is why whether a person experiences whiplash or a concussion, a neck misalignment may occur.

The Significance of a Misaligned Neck

When the C1 and C2 vertebrae become misaligned, this can put pressure on the brainstem. It can also restrict the proper flow of blood and cerebrospinal fluid. This can have an effect on the central nervous system. Headaches are just one of the many possible results.

Upper Cervical Care Case Studies Involving Headaches

A 35-year-old female figure skater started having headaches after falling on the ice and hitting her head. She never had a problem with headaches before the injury. Upper cervical care was provided after a subluxation was identified. After three months of care, the patient suffered no more headaches. After one year had passed, the headaches had still not returned. The same article collected the results of 100 other similar studies in an Appendix.

These results show the benefits of upper cervical care for people suffering from headaches. This is especially true when the problems can be traced back to some kind of trauma. While you may not connect your injury to your headaches because years have passed, that doesn’t mean the two are unrelated. Sometimes neck misalignments take a decade or more to begin causing symptoms.

The best way to find out if a misalignment is the underlying cause of your headaches is to have your cervical spine examined. If it is out of alignment, correcting this problem may render similar results to the ones in the studies noted above.

About the Author

Dr. Geoff Besso, DC, DCCJP

Besso Clinic of Chiropractic

Dr. Geoff Besso graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Following his bachelor’s degree he enrolled at the prestigious Life University in Atlanta, Georgia. After a four year intensive program, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2002. He became an upper cervical chiropractor in Stow in 2005. Dr. Besso and his wife, Amy Besso, DC, opened their practice in Stow, Ohio, in 2005 and have been blessed to help thousands of patients with conditions ranging from Fibromyalgia to Migraine Headaches to Meniere’s Disease.