One of the main reasons people come to see your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area are headaches.  Headaches caused by the neck joints and muscles are fixable at a chiropractic office.  Some headaches aren’t as easy to help people with but cervicogenic headaches can be helped with chiropractic care.

Neck pain and headaches are linked more often than you would think.  Most people think they have a headache and it is local to the head.  Further investigation could find the cause being your neck.  There are two major types of headaches:  Migraines (which we all seem to know about) and cervicogenic.   Most people assume a really bad headache is just a migraine.  This isn’t always the case and more often than not the headache is coming from the upper neck region.  This is the reason migraine medication doesn’t work on these headaches.

Getting the headaches properly diagnosed will help people properly treat them.  I see tons of patients who come in with “migraines.”  They explain the entire headache.  It starts in the back of my neck then shoots into my head.  By this point they are taking their medication but it never seems to work.  Then they sit in a dark room and try and ride out the “migraine.”

Visiting Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is a great place to start to get the headaches properly diagnosed.  If that isn’t possible check out a local chiropractor who can help you properly diagnose the headache.   The headache could be what is called a cervicogenic headache.  Sound scary but it is treatable and generally chiropractic care is the place to begin.

By definition a cervicogenic headache is any headache which is caused by the neck. The term ‘cervicogenic’ simply refers the cervical area, which is a part of your spine located right near the base of the skull. The pain of cervicogenic headache is usually unilateral; it originates in the neck and then spreads to the oculofrontal-temporal areas of the head. The headache initially presents as intermittent episodes and then progresses to an almost continuous pain. Pain may be triggered or exacerbated by neck movement or a particular neck position; it can also be triggered by applying pressure over the ipsilateral upper part of the back of the neck or the ipsilateral occipital region.   If this sounds like your headache visiting a Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge Virginia may help.

There are some simple things you can do at home to help prevent the headaches if you can’t get to a chiropractor.

Relaxation

Heat or cool the head and neck

Mobilizing

Postural exercise

Improve your computer work station ergonomics (see our tips on this in other blogs at doroskichiropractic.com)

Of course if the headaches are severe enough and none of your home therapies are working do not hesitate to contact your Doctor.  Headaches could be a symptom of a more serious problem and your Doctor will be able to do further testing or imaging to rule out more serious conditions.

 

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

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