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Variation in headaches episodes are experienced everyday by several people around the world. These headache episodes can range from mild tension type to extreme tension that can be incapacitating. In a study, it was found out that those who frequently experience tension type headaches has a prevalence rate of 40 to 80% Out of this people, 10% reported lost workdays and half reporting decreased efficacy at work or school. In a recent study conducted by International Headache Society (I.H.S.) an estimation of at least 10 to 12 % of adults worldwide experienced a migraine, with more women affected than men. Financial cost of these recorded and reported headaches can accumulate to billions of dollars in lost work time and treatment. Although, some experience headaches sporadically, most patients experience a pattern with different variations and severity. Missed work, performance and other socioeconomic effects of chronic headaches and migraine are undeniable and felt world wide.
Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation has long been seen as one of the best alternative treatments for chronic headaches and migraine. To prove this, a study on its effectiveness was conducted for different types of headaches and severity. This said study began with 683 patients with chronic headaches, these patients were given chiropractic spinal manipulation procedures and the results of this said study shows that SMT has a short term efficacy on chronic headaches like amitriptyline (medication for headache). SMT also showed better efficacy than massages for cervicogenic headaches, with effects comparable to prescription drugs for headaches. Unlike patients who have used amitriptyline, patients who went through chiropractic care, treatments for their chronic headaches did not show any side effects like drowsiness, dry mouth and weight gain. The study also suggest that the ratio for chiropractic spinal manipulation techniques induced cervical accident is 1:20,000 up to 1: 1,000,000. Previous research also showed that spinal manipulation techniques was found to be a good alternative treatment for chronic headache and migraine which do not involve possible side effects caused by medications for headaches.
Data collection to gauge the effectiveness of Chiropractic care on chronic headache were scored by how the patients gauge perceive the effectiveness of their chiropractic treatments for their headache. The conclusions that were drawn from the data collected at hand proves that chiropractic spinal manipulation can be a good alternative to cervicogenic headache massages and first line prophylactic medications that treat headaches for a short period of time. It can also be pointed out that the risk of patients from experiencing side effects from headache medications are greatly reduced. Although the effects of the chiropractic care on headache can be short term further studies are being conducted to determine its long term effects on chronic headaches and migraine.
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