More than 15 million Americans suffer from persistent recurring headaches with no obvious cause.  Pain pills only cover up the headaches temporarily and the headaches come back.  Don't continue suffering needlessly.  Chiropractic care may be able to put a smile back on your face.

Numerous studies have found that chiropractic care helps a variety of headaches.  Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches.  Recent studies show that many of these originate in the neck where the cervical vertebrae are located.  A medical doctor doing research at Syracuse University, said "We've been able to put together a scientific explanation for how neck structure causes headaches...  It's true that chiropractors have been saying this for years... They were right about headaches."¹  A recently published controlled trial concluded "Spinal manipulation has a significant positive effect in cases of cervicogenic (originating from the neck) headache."²  They found that chiropractic care reduced the number of headache hours by a whopping 59% and reduced the intensity of the remaining headaches.³  If you suffer from headaches this is welcomed news!

Migraine headaches, perhaps the most severe headaches, also respond to chiropractic care.  In one study, 74.7% of migraine patients were greatly improved under chiropractic care⁴ and the success rate was maintained two years after care ended.⁵  Then there was the Parker trial funded by the Australian government that found chiropractic care effective for Migraine.⁶   A follow-up study of the Parker trial concluded, "The trial clearly established that chiropractic was an effective treatment for migraine."⁷

Chiropractic care is not just for backaches.  If you suffer with headaches, by all means, get a spinal check up.

1. "Treating Headaches," February 10, 1997, Dynamic Chiropractic, Vol. 15, No. 4, p. 34.

2. N. Nillson, et. al., "The Effect of Spinal Manipulation in the Treatment of Cervicogenic Headache," June, 1997, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Vol. 20, No. 5, p. 326.

3. Ibid.

4. J. S. Wight, "Migraine: A Statistical Analysis of Chiropractic Treatment," 1978, Journal of the American Chiropractic Association, Vol. 12, pp. 363-67.

5. J. S. Wight, "The Role of the Cervical Spine in Migraine," 1982, European Journal of Chiropractic, Vol. 30, pp. 217-220.

6. G. B. Parker, et. al., "A Controlled Trial of Cervical Manipulation for Migraine," 1978, Australian-New Zealand Journal of Medicine, Vol. 8, pp. 589-93.

7. Chiropractic in New Zealand, 1979, Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand.

from Target Information Management, Inc, 2003, vol. 287