Understanding Cervicogenic Headaches – Chiropractor in Centurion
Cervicogenic headaches are more common than you might think. Cervicogenic simply means “originating from the upper cervical spine”, a.k.a. your upper neck. These headaches sometimes present as tension headaches, however with closer examination the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache is made.
There are many theories about the exact causes of cervicogenic headaches. The main theories state that the head pain is mainly felt due to referred pain from the neck as a result of prior neck trauma, cervical joint dysfunction, sustained neck postures or repetitive neck/shoulder movements.
Symptoms of Cervicogenic Headaches
The symptoms of cervicogenic headaches can be described as follows. It is a dull and achy head pain that is usually felt around the upper neck and back of the head and may refer pain to the forehead, eye region, temples or ears. Cervicogenic headaches are aggravated by specific neck movements or sustained postures. Occasionally this dull and achy pain may also radiate or be felt in the neck, shoulder or arm on the same side as the headache. If you have had prior neck trauma, i.e. whiplash, you are more predisposed to this type of headache.
Management of Cervicogenic Headaches
The management of cervicogenic headaches is simple. As we said earlier, the cause of your headache is coming from the neck joints or surrounding soft tissue such as muscles and ligaments. Chiropractic manipulation of the upper cervical spine has been proven to help dramatically with this headache as it corrects the cervical joint dysfunction. Other treatment protocols that can be incorporated include massage or dry needling of the affected muscles as well as stretching and strengthening of the neck muscles.
If you or someone you know suffers from cervicogenic headaches, give us a call today today
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