Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic Headache

 Case Sharing

Mr. Cheng, 35, often has headaches and dizziness, and his symptoms have lasted for half a year. Taking painkillers at the beginning can instantly make the headache disappear, but over time the effectiveness of the painkillers has gradually diminished. Headaches and dizziness have become heavier which makes it difficult to concentrate at work. At the same time, it affects the eyes feel tire and accompany with tinnitus.

He was worried about if it was a brain problem. After MRI scans of his brain, no unusual finding. Since Mr. Cheng is an architect, he often takes a long time to do design drawings on a computer, and the muscles of his neck and shoulders also suffer from long-term pain and tension. After examination, it was found that his headache, dizziness and neck pain were all caused by the compression of the cervical nerves and the tightness of the muscles. After treatment, Mr. Cheng’s headache and dizziness have alleviated.

Causes of cervical headache

The causes of cervical headache are as follows:

1) Incorrect posture

2) Lack of exercise

3) Maintain the same working posture for a long time, such as often lowering your head to type and overwork your muscles

4) Accidental injury caused cervical spine displacement.

In the early stages of cervical headache, the patient will first feel neck and shoulder pain, and will also have a painful pulling sensation from fatigue, and feel that the head is heavy and it is difficult to lift the head. When the cervical spine is compressed on a cord, the patient will begin to have headaches, and there will be a kind of pressure pain in the back of the head . It is like being entrapped by a rubber band, and it may even cause dry eyes, fatigue, or tinnitus. The headaches is irregular, and it is generally easier to occur in a stressful environment.

Incorrect posture

Cervical headaches are mostly caused by incorrect postures.  The neck muscles are overworked and the cervical spine nerves are compressed, causing headaches. Chiropractors use manual techniques to correct the misalign spine to soothe the compressed nerves. They also use other modality to help relax the muscles. After the spine is corrected, due to the daily life and work of the patient, there is still a chance of muscle strain or spine misalignment. Therefore, correct stretching exercises and basic muscle exercises is needed.