Headaches can happen for many reasons which make it difficult to know what type of headache you have and the cause. Migraines, tension/cervicogenic headaches, and cluster headaches are the main forms of primary headache disorders. Commonly enough, many of them can be traced back to the neck or surrounding musculature.
Posture plays a critical role regarding neck pain, which can cause pain in the head region, triggering a headache. Existing in today’s world with desk jobs, poor sleeping habits, and excessive technology use — to name a few — all can have potential influence on headaches. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments of our neck are pain sensitive and can send symptoms to other areas of the body.
Cervicogenic headaches are rarely a sign of something scary or dangerous. However, it’s important to distinguish the difference from other types of headache as they can share similar symptoms.
Migraine sufferers know a migraine from a “bad” headache. Migraine headaches are typically more severe than cervicogenic headaches and have a known trigger, e.g., food, light, smells. Pain is usually on one side of the head with symptoms behind the eye and at the back of the head.
Sensitivity to light and noise, and nausea and vomiting are common. Some experience “auras” or visual disturbances preceding a migraine. Migraines can last a few hours to as long as a few days and can occur seldom or several times a year.
Cluster headaches are the least common type, and their underlying cause is unknown. Cluster headaches are very intense and commonly felt right behind one eye — described as one of the worst pains you can experience. Cluster headaches occur regularly over a period in “clusters.” They can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, occurring multiple times in a day over several weeks.
If a headache occurs suddenly and accompanied by pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, or unconsciousness — especially when associated with trauma — seek emergency medical care immediately.
The most common treatments are rest, medication, physical therapy, chiropractor for knee pain in Lithia FL and chiropractic care, acupuncture, massage, and other conservative therapies. Getting your headaches evaluated by a professional helps determine the appropriate classification and course of treatment. Commonly, we find cervicogenic headaches stem from issues in the neck joints and muscles just below the base of the skull, which respond well to specialized rehab chiropractor Lithia FL care, manual therapy, and adjustments.
At Motion ChiroTherapy, instead of making you dependent on constant office visits for headache relief, we teach you how to catch the early stages of a potential headache and manage it independently. Since headaches often occur at inconvenient times during a busy workday or road trip, patient empowerment and autonomy are key components of effective pain management. While avoiding poor postures and prolonged sitting or driving isn’t always possible, recognizing your triggers and restoring range of motion with targeted sports injury chiropractor FishHawk techniques makes surrounding tissues less sensitive to external stressors.
The most common cause of a cervicogenic headache is the accumulation of poor body mechanics and postural habits.
Pain from turning or bending your head/neck is not because it is inherently bad, rather the result of the accumulated stress of poor postural and movement habits — the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to say.
We’re not meant to sit in chairs and stare at electronic screens for hours on end. Our bodies like to move — it’s healthy for our muscles and joints. From infancy through the first year of life, we learn to how to move, setting us up for the rest of our lives. But if movements or postures of any joint are not balanced, e.g., too much in one direction or position, it can create and make problems worse. The reoccurring pattern of habitual postures and movements can lead to joint imbalance and subsequent tight muscles and irritated nerves.
Rarely is cervicogenic headache a serious or structural problem, i.e., arthritis, degeneration, rather an imbalance of positions, postures, and movements. Since it is a mechanical problem, it requires a mechanical solution, such as rehab and manipulation. It is common for patients with cervicogenic headaches to have little to no relief with taking over-the-counter medications, which can become frustrating and concerning.
