What is a Cervicogenic Headache?

Headaches are a common condition affecting millions of people every day.    In my practice, headaches are so common, when I inquire about any history of headaches during a consultation, I often hear the infamous line “just my usual headache”.  What on earth is a usual headache?  Headaches are not the norm, and for the life of me, I can never understand why so many people live day to day with headaches unnecessarily.  There are many causes of headaches, the most common, and easily to control are headaches stemming from various soft tissues of the neck causing pain into the head, known as cervicogenic headache.

Cervicogenic headache, as its name suggests, means a headache generating from the cervical spine or neck.  The most common issues in the neck is that dull pain from inflammation or irritations of soft tissues like muscles, ligaments, tendons or discs.  Muscle tension headaches are probably the one headache that most people can comprehend.  Tension forming in the neck muscles, from sleeping incorrectly, poor posture, spending long periods of time in poor positions such as sitting at a computer.  Even these days, there is a diagnosis now known as “tech neck” or “text neck” are looking down at their phone. This causes discomfort in the muscles in the back of the neck and base of the skull from a stretch of the soft tissues for periods of time.

As a piece of free chiropractic advice, please do not be like the last guy above. 😊

Another very common issue it the joint (or facet) capsule, which is a bag like structure completely wrapping around a joint that contains fluid that nourishes the cartilage of the joint.  During trauma (like a sports injury or auto accident) these capsules can be stretched, damaged or partially torn, causing significant pain in the head or neck.  Different joint injuries affect the neck and pain in different yet predictable ways, see the image below.

These injuries are more intense and should be evaluated and treated properly by a trained professional, because these conditions rarely improve on their own.  An example would be if a football player’s supportive ligaments of his knee were blown out, you do not hear of cases where the knee miraculously healed itself 100%.  In fact, study after study has shown, capsule injuries rapidly deteriorate into degeneration aka arthritis within a few short years.

How you can help yourself

1. Take frequent breaks from activities in one position such as watching tv or sitting in front of a computer.  Get up and move to stretch these tightening tissues.
2. If in a prolonged neck flexion position (head looking downward), move your head and neck in the opposite direction, or perform full range of motion activities, side to side head movements, rotational and full circles, cautious to remain in your full range of motion, slowly and controlled.
3. If the base of the skull or upper neck muscles are tight, retract your chin inwards towards your neck as you allow a slight forward head tilt to stretch.
4. Shoulder shrugs and shoulder retraction, pulling your shoulders either upwards or backwards, squeezing your shoulder blades together, hold for 8-10 seconds.
5. Stretch those tight muscles in back by tucking your chin to chest, putting light pressure on the back of your head pulling forward, and try to push your head backwards, allowing slight motion as you stretch.
6. Stretch your chest and front of your neck by stretching as you lean through a doorway or hands up in a room corner, elbows backwards.
7. If in a prolonged forward position and you develop neck pain or headache, lay on your back with a rolled towel under your neck to support you, allowing your neck muscles to rest. You can do the same thing resting your head back against the back of an office chair if the back is high enough, or you can rest your head on a wall.
8. Utilize ice and heat, moist heat is always better than dry heat.
9. Have your neck be evaluated and adjusted to ensure the muscles and joints are in the right position.