Your Headache May Be Caused By Neck Problems

A picture that greets me all too often in my work is that of a person who finally decided to seek physical therapy treatment for his headache. Either the cause of the headache was misdiagnosed and consequently treated incorrectly or he thought it would eventually go away by itself after applying some self-help remedies. At this point, a stage has been reached where the headache started to interfere with normal level of function and the intensity of the pain is unbearable.

Headaches have become one of the most common medical complaints of our modern society with its hectic pace and enormous pressures. The demands of an overly busy lifestyle may result in fatigue of neck muscles, which place them at a higher risk of being strained. Since the cause of headaches resulting from neck problems is more challenging to diagnose, and X-rays for example, may not reveal anything abnormal, sufferers are often left frustrated.

Headaches that originate in the neck (commonly called cervicogenic headaches) can be tricky to diagnose since the symptoms may be similar to that of migraine headaches. Some of the common symptoms include:

• More prevalent in females


• Usually on the one side of the head


• The pain is severe and throbbing


• Nausea


• Phonophobia (severe sensitivity to sound)


• Photophobia (severe sensitivity to light)

Even though these symptoms are more common to migraines, they have been reported by patients suffering from cervicogenic headaches as well. Major distinguishing factors between migraines and cervicogenic headaches are that cervicogenic headaches are affected by the position and movement of the head or neck and there will be tenderness to touch along the base of the skull.

What are Cervicogenic Headaches?

In cervicogenic headaches the pain originates in the cervical spine, neck and upper shoulder area. These headaches have regular pain patterns which are related to muscular trigger points in the neck, shoulder and upper spine area. The pain is often behind the eye, in the forehead, along the jaw line, on top of the head and behind the ear.

Why do neck problems result in headaches?

The joints that connect the top levels of the spine to the base of the skull account for more than 50% of the motion of the entire head and neck region and is thereby placed under continual stress as they bear the load of the head. I've often heard patients complain that their head feels almost to heavy for the neck to bear. Other structures in the neck area such as the discs, muscles and ligaments along with the joints have nerve endings which are sensitive to any form of strain or injury. When irritated long enough or severe enough the nerves fire off a response and the result is a headache.

Causes of Cervicogenic Headaches

• History of whiplash or other neck injuries


• Muscle strain


• Maintaining a poor posture over a prolonged period of time


• Stress and Tension


• Intervertebral disc disease


• Progressive joint degeneration


• Previous neck surgery


• Fatigue which affects the endurance of the muscles

What you can do about your headaches:

1. Especially if you have a history of chronic cervicogenic headaches and previous injuries to your neck area, it is advisable to have regular sessions of therapy. The therapies known to ease these headaches are physical therapy and chiropractic treatment. Both these therapies will employ different techniques that has been proven to bring considerable relief. Regular pain management is especially effective and results in a significant decrease in both the frequency of the headache episodes, as well as the intensity of the pain during an episode.


2. Posture correction. This is a very important consideration for long-term control of headaches. Your neck muscles work quite hard to balance your head on top of your spine. A poor posture allows some muscles to become "lazy" while others are overloaded, causing an imbalance in how they work together. It is however not possible to maintain a perfect posture all of the time and therefore the next point is also important.


3. Increasing the strength and endurance of the neck muscle groups, while addressing muscular imbalance through exercises is well worth the investment in time. Most exercises are simple and can be done standing in the shower, in your car while waiting for the traffic light to change, behind your desk, etc.


4. Make sure you are sleeping on a pillow that adequately support the normal arch of your neck as you spend considerable time sleeping and correct positioning is therefore important.


5. Analgesia like Paracetamol or Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory medication can also be helpful

Please Note: Consulting your medical professional with regards to treatment and exercise programs is always the safest route to go. Each individual responds differently to different treatment regimes and therefore should seek individual consultation.

To view images on pain distribution, trigger points in the muscles and the correct posture for working behind the computer, click here