Although they have the word “head” in their name, a number of headaches actually have their roots in the neck and cervical portion of your spine. Cervicogenic headaches are one such problem, and they develop in your neck and express symptoms in the form of head pain and discomfort. In today’s blog, we take a close look at cervicogenic headaches and explain how a spine specialist can help treat them.
Causes and Symptoms of Cervicogenic Headaches
Cervicogenic headaches can develop for a few different reasons, but the main reason typically involves a structural defect or problem in the cervical portion of a person’s spine. Some people can develop these headaches as a result of working jobs that put excessive stress on their neck region. Manual labor positions like construction workers are at risk for cervicogenic headaches, as are less physical occupations like hair stylists and truck drivers who put significant stress on their neck throughout the day.
Some patients notice that their cervicogenic headaches develop after whiplash or similar acute injury to the area, while others deal with it as a result of a complication due to tumors or arthritis onset.
Symptoms of a cervicogenic headache include:
- Headache
- Neck pain
- Stiffness
- Reduced range of motion
- Pain in the shoulders or arms
- Nausea
- Sensitivity to light
- Blurred vision
Treating Cervicogenic Headaches
If you are experiencing these symptoms or suspect that you are dealing with cervicogenic headaches, consider setting up an appointment with Dr. Sinicropi or a spine specialist in your area. They’ll be able to conduct a physical exam of your neck and take images of certain areas to pinpoint exactly what’s going on in your head and neck. From there, they can develop a treatment plan that can help reduce or eliminate your headaches.
Treatment of cervicogenic headaches focuses on addressing the underlying cause of headache onset. For patients whose headaches are brought on by damage from an acute injury, physical therapy and helping these structures heal often helps resolve the headaches. In patients whose headaches are brought on by their daily activities, providing patients with posture education and poor posture mitigation techniques often helps to reduce or eliminate headache frequency. Aside from physical therapy and posture care, other treatment options your doctor may ask you to consider include:
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Muscle relaxers
- Nerve blocks
- Stretching techniques
Surgery is rare, but it could be an option if your doctor believes neuromodulation (nerve stimulation) could help correct a nerve issue that is causing your headaches.
For more information, or for help with your cervicogenic headaches, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his medical team today.
