Chiropractic Care For Headaches: Chiropractors Were Right
Chiropractic and the Cervicogenic Headache Model
Until recently, the medical understanding of headaches has not taken into account the chiropractic model. The concept that headache pain can originate from cervical dysfunction is still completely foreign to most of the medical profession. Noted researcher Nikolai Bogduk, MD, PhD, professor of anatomy at Newcastle, Australia, commented: “The people in control of the headache field seemingly have not, cannot, or will not, recognize this paradox … that the model for cervicogenic headache is not only the best evolved of all headaches but is testable in vivo, in patients with headache complaints. No other form of headache has that facility.”
Several years ago, a Canadian anesthesiologist, Peter Rothbart, MD, FRCPC, came to the same conclusions about the cervicogenic headache. Dr. Rothbart made many observations in his own pain management practice, which subsequently led to an article in the Toronto Star, the most widely read newspaper in Canada. The Toronto Star article, “A Pain in the Neck,” was subtitled: “Chiropractors were right.”
“Many headaches are caused by damaged structures in the neck — and scientific evidence proves it.” The article explained that years ago, French medical professor Robert Maigne “came to believe that many headaches originated with a structural problem in the neck.” He was “thought to be a lunatic,” said Dr. Rothbart. But others took up Dr. Maigne’s work, including Dr. Nikolai Bogduk.
In 1995, a team of MDs at Syracuse University established neck problems as the cause of many headaches “with scientific, anatomical proof.” Dr. Rothbart termed the Syracuse results “a minor miracle.” In the Toronto Star article, Dr. Rothbart made several insightful comments:
“Some brilliant people have put their hearts, souls and minds to this (headache) problem and haven’t come up with anything. All we’ve been able to do is treat people with an array of medicines, one after the other, and hope the side effects won’t be too bad.
