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Is Your Headache Caused by Neck Problems?

Blog, / By Shi Qi Yap

Many of us are no stranger to some form of throbbing and distracting headache.  Headaches can occur for a variety of reasons, and it can be difficult to determine which type of headache you are experiencing and what is causing it.

In today’s vlog, we are going to discuss cervicogenic headache and how you can differentiate it from other types of headaches.

What is Cervicogenic Headache?

Cervicogenic Headache is defined as pain perceived in the head from a source in the neck. A dysfunction of the cervical spine and its component bone, disc, and/or soft tissue parts are the causes of cervicogenic headache.

Numerous pain-sensitive structures, which are known as nociceptors, exist in the neck and bottom of skull regions. According to International Headache Society (IHS), cervicogenic headache is validated as a secondary headache type that is hypothesized to originate due to nociception in the cervical area.

The Signs of Cervicogenic Headache Different from other Types of Headache:

  1. Feel pain on only one side of the head.
  2. Dull ache, non-throbbing, and non-lancinating.
  3. Pain originates from the bottom of your skull, travelling up one side of the head.
  4. Neck stiffness combined with shoulder and arm diffused pain.
  5. Pain is aggravated by rotating head or sustained posture.
  6. Some people also have pain around one eye or pain when they cough or sneeze.

Manual therapy, therapeutic exercise regimen, ergonomics education and postural correction provided by physiotherapist are effective in treating a cervicogenic headache.

If you have any more questions or would like our physiotherapists to assess or treat your problem, feel free to drop us a question or talk to us. Do check out our Instagram page too.

Yap Shi Qi

Rehab Therapist

Sources

  1. Desert Institute for Spine Care (DISC). (2021, November 23). 7 tips for relieving headaches caused by neck pain: Disc. DISC – Desert Institute for Spine Care – Phoenix, AZ – Gilbert, AZ – Scottsdale AZ – East Valley. Retrieved from https://www.sciatica.com/from-the-doc/tips-for-relieving-headaches-caused-by-neck-pain/.
  2. Physiopedia. (n.d.). Cervicogenic headache. Physiopedia. Retrieved from https://www.physio-pedia.com/Cervicogenic_Headache.
  3. Zinovy Meyler, D. O. (n.d.). Neck pain and cervicogenic headache. Spine. Retrieved from: https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/neck-pain/neck-pain-and-cervicogenic-headache.
  4. Robinson, J. (n.d.). Cervicogenic headache: Symptoms, causes, and treatment. WebMD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/cervicogenic-headache-facts_.
  5. Eske, J. (n.d.). Cervicogenic headache: Symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Medical News Today. Retrieved from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324108.