Nowadays you can type in your symptoms into google and it will pop out an answer.  Sometimes not the most accurate, but sometimes it can lead you to a blog like this. Do you have throbbing head pain on one side of your face or head? Is your neck stiff with decreased motion? Do you have pain around the eyes? You may be dealing with a cervicogenic headache.  “Cervico” meaning neck and “genic” meaning origin.  People dealing with these types of headaches many times have a history of trauma to their neck.  That can be anything from a car accident, skiing accident, slip, and fall, or even repetitive trauma with poor posture.  This trauma could have happened days, weeks, month, or even years ago.

The reason these headaches can be so painful is there are cervical nerve roots and vertebral arteries passing through the cervical vertebral bodies (the neck bones)  When there is lack of motion these nerve roots can become irritated and cause a lot of pain and headaches.
The first treatment option that most people take is to take over the counter medication.  Sometimes this works, but usually only for a little bit. After that route, some people may try to get nerve block injections, which do stop the pain, but unfortunately, this is only a temporary fix for a cervicogenic headache.

What you can do yourself right now:

Change your pillow:
If you are laying on something for 8 hours that is not putting you in proper alignment that can cause big problems in your neck
Use heat to relax the muscles:
Heat can help loosen the muscles and get more movement into your neck. The lack of motion is one of the issues that is causing the pain
Get movement in the neck:
This can be stretched on your own or with a professional.  Again proper movement is key in decreasing the pain.
These tips can help decrease the pain, but let me ask you…
Do you want to actually address the underlying cause of your headache? Of course, you do!  Let me tell you a little secret. If you want a different result than you have been getting you are going to have to try a different approach.  My suggestion to you would be to find a doctor who specializes in the neck and headaches.

Guess what? That is exactly who we are at Atlas Chiropractic of Boulder.  Let me tell you why.
First:  we only analyze the neck and even more specifically the top two bones in the neck.
We take biomechanical x rays to analyze movement in the neck to see exactly where you have a problem that is causing a cervicogenic headache.
Second: we use an objective measurement to see how your nerves are functioning.  If there is a lack of movement in your neck it can cause irritation on your nerves causing you pain.
However, the only true way to know if we can help you is for you to come in for an exam.
If you are frustrated by the results you are achieving by merely managing your cervicogenic headaches, our office is the perfect place for you.  

In fact, I am so certain that what we do in the office will make so much sense to you that I am willing to offer a complimentary consultation with one of our Dr.’s to discuss your case and tell you if we can help you.  There is no reason why you have to live with these headaches anymore. All you have to do is call the office at 303-442-5911 or enter your name and e-mail on the bottom of this page.  I look forward to talking with you soon.

There is HOPE, you can get better.  Get back to living the life you truly desire.

About Atlas Chiropractic of Boulder
At Atlas Chiropractic of Boulder we are not only concerned about your symptoms, but also you as a person and what is important to you. We know that not everyone’s the same and not everyone has the same goals. It is important to us that we present a chiropractic care plan that works for you and is tailored to you and your health concerns.

We’re a specialty Boulder Chiropractor focused on back pain, neck pain, vertigo, and migraine headaches. Our patients visit our Boulder office from all over Northern Colorado, including, Longmont, Erie, Superior, Lafayette, Niwot, Louisville, Broomfield, and Denver, Colorado.

Contact Atlas Chiropractic of Boulder today to schedule a free evaluation. Specialized upper cervical chiropractic care is by no means a “hail Mary” solution, but if you haven’t yet seen Dr. Bremner, you’re nowhere close to running out of options.