Neck Related Headache

...also known as Cervicogenic Headache: Pain of various types experienced in the head and face which is referred from the joints and soft tissues of the neck

Broadly speaking there are two main types of Cervicogenic headache:

Traumatic

A specific incident has strained the joints and muscles of the neck. This could be whiplash or a blow to the head from a fall.

Postural

Long-term strain of the joints and muscles in the neck and upper back has caused stiffening, irritation and mechanical stress.

These problems feed information to a part of the brain known as the trigeminocervical nucleus (TCN), which also gets pain information from the head and face.

Pain information from the neck can be mistaken by the TCN as coming from the head or face. This means people with cervicogenic headaches often don’t have any neck pain at all.

Help me with my headaches...

What are the Symptoms?

Woman with headache As cervicogenic headaches can present in many different ways, it is difficult to put together a complete list of presenting symptoms. However, generally speaking, neck-realted headaches can have some of the following features:

Pain that is either a dull ache or sharp and stabbing
Pain at the top of the neck and back of the head that often radiates over the head into the forehead or eye
Pain that tends to get worse through the day although when the problem has been there for a while, the headache can be constant
The pain tends to stay on one side of the head and neck, and while the headache tends not to cross from one side to the other, it can be felt on both sides

What can be done about it?

We start with a thorough assessment of your body and lifestyle, including your posture, specific movements, vertebral alignment, movement of the inter-vertebral joints, muscle strength and length, ergonomic factors and your lifestyle.

We are looking for two things:

The Source of the Pain/Headache, so we can deal with the symptoms
The Source of the Underlying Problem so we can stop the pain coming back

What does the treatment involve?

We will typically work directly on the joints involved to mobilise them. This is most often the top three vertebra of the neck. We also work directly on muscles and soft tissue to mobilise them, and we help you strengthen specific muscles and realign and retrain your posture.

We get the best long-term results by helping you understand what caused the problem, telling you what you can change to stop the problem coming back, and showing you exercises you can do to nip a recurring problem in the bud.

One of our team was interviewed by Frontline, the publication of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, for an article regarding the role Physiotherapy in the management of Headaches:
When Headache is Pain in the Neck - Frontline, June 2009

For more information about Cervicogenic Headache and Migraine go to:
www.watsonheadache.com

Help me with my headaches...