Headaches – Is it from your neck or your head?

08 May Headaches – Is it from your neck or your head?

A high percentage of our clients seek treatment for headaches compared to other musculoskeletal issues.  Many of our musculoskeletal clients however, may not be aware that we are able to provide relief for their headaches, so may not have thought to mention them to us.

There are 3 main types of headache – migraine, tension and cervicogenic (originating from the neck) and for most people there will be an overlap of the headache type they experience.

Headaches may be exacerbated by:

• referred pain from the jaw muscles and joints
• caffeine withdrawal
• dehydration from exercise, hot weather or drinking alcoholic beverages
• maintaining a sustained position such as turning the head to talk to a friend and
• poor posture when sitting in a car, lounge chair or working at a computer.

Why can the neck be a cause of headache?

For a person who has a cervicogenic component to their headache, neck stiffness and pain is very common and is usually the first symptom experienced before the onset of a headache.  This is because nerves from different areas of the body converge in the sensory part of the brain.  The brain interprets an experience of pain no matter which nerve is the actual source of the pain. So, when nerves from joints or muscles of the neck converge with the nerves from the face or head, neck pain can be experienced as a headache.

Other symptoms can include tightness across the forehead, pain behind the eyes, blocked sinuses and even episodes of tinnitus.

How can physiotherapy help a person who experiences cervicogenic headache?

A physio will conduct an investigation looking for postures that trigger your pain and will try to safely mimic your pain in the clinic. The physio will also feel for tight muscles between the base of the skull and the shoulders and feel the joints within your neck. 

Once the source of the headache pain has been determined, the physio will:

• provide manual therapy to release muscle stiffness and joint tightness
• provide advice to correct or minimise headache-producing postures and
• prescribe exercises to improve your body’s resistance to headaches.

If you’re unsure whether you have a headache related to your neck, call us on 02 6674 4142 to make an appointment!