Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic headaches (CGH) are simply headaches that come from the neck. They may start in the neck, often right at the top, and spread forwards. Typically they only affect one side of the head in any given episode, and may cover the ear or eye. Their duration can be anywhere from an hour to a few days.

These headaches differ to those known as primary headaches, such as tension type or migraines. Primary headaches do not have a definite cause, and are likely a cumulation of a number of things. As CGHs come from a musculoskeletal cause in the neck, osteopaths are qualified to treat them.

Recurrent Cervicogenic Headaches

If you suffer from these headaches frequently, your osteopath will want to work out why. There are a number of potential causes for cervicogenic headaches, including:

• neck joints
• bulging discs
• muscles in the neck and towards the shoulder
• nerves

Osteopaths look at the person as a whole. Often there is a factor further down the back or into the shoulder. If the upper back, for example, has become stiff, some movement will be lost. The body is great at adapting, so if you’ve lost some rotation through the back, the neck might rotate more to get you to that usual position. It’s often a subtle change, but when repeated, it can put strain into the compensating area.

Treating Cervicogenic Headaches

The Whole Picture

Once the precipitating factors have been identified, your osteopath will form a treatment plan. This might entail a lot of work into the neck, treating the cause and symptoms. For some people it might be appropriate to click the joints in the neck, and others may need a more gentle approach.

Addressing additional factors will look different depending what they are. If stiffness in the rest of the back is the problem, it may be useful to click the back. You can always decline this kind of treatment if you don’t like it- your osteopath has a number of different ways to manage the same problem. If tension in the shoulders caused tightness into the neck, it may be time to work on your diaphragm and jaw.

Self-Management

With any plan, there will be things you can do to help yourself at home. Your osteopath can give you exercises and advice to build on your progress. There may be lifestyle factors that we can help with too. If your working position is too restrictive, or encourages one-sided movement, we can talk about ergonomics and work out an alternative.

If you suffer from cervicogenic headaches, book an appointment now to get to the bottom of them.