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Frequent headaches? Is it migraine or a mystery?
- Do you sometimes experience that nagging headache at the end of your day or even as soon as you wake up?
- Has this headache now become part of your routine life? Something you just can’t get rid of?
- Are you among those who have tried numerous therapies but have found no relief so far?
If your answer to these questions is yes, then you probably might have been diagnosed with migraine (possibly by Dr. Google). But to dig in deeper, do you really have migraine? Or is the cause of this headache a mystery, yet to be revealed?
Headaches can have n number of causes and it can be quite difficult to come to an accurate diagnosis since the symptoms can be overlapping. Headaches can be a common symptom in many conditions such as migraine, cervicogenic headache, sinusitis, hypertension and conditions affecting the nervous system.
It can also occur due to various factors such as lack of sleep, stress, anxiety, prolonged teeth clenching and many more. In this blog, we will be highlighting on cervicogenic headache and how to differentiate the symptoms of migraine and cervicogenic headache. Although the symptoms are overlapping, treatment of both conditions are vastly different.
Cervicogenic headache is a form of referred pain where the primary symptom is a headache but the root cause arises from the neck or the cervical spine. It could be due to muscle tightness, presence of trigger point(s), locking of the facet joint or nerve impingement.
Often symptoms of a cervicogenic headache can mimic that of a migraine. However, there are a few signs you can look out for that can help you determine the cause for your headache.
If you are suffering from symptoms of a cervicogenic headache, it is recommended to consult a physiotherapist. Based on the clinical assessment, various techniques such as joint mobilizations, soft tissue release, stretching, positional release and other manual therapy along with specific exercises & postural corrections can help you find almost immediate and effective relief.
In any case, if you are experiencing frequent headaches, it is essential to get examined by a health professional so that appropriate medical attention can be given. Some of the red flags that indicate a need for immediate medical attention are
- Stiff neck
- Rash
- Vomiting
- Slurred speech
- High fever
- Paralysis
- Visual loss
- Sudden weight loss
We hope this blog helps you to unveil the mystery behind your headache with enough clarity so that you don’t have to rely on our very own Dr. Google!
REFERENCES:
Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The international classification of headache disorders.2nd edition. Cephalalgia 2004
Al Khalili Y, Jain S, Murphy PB. 2019 Headache, Cervicogenic. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507862/
Becker WJ. Cervicogenic Headache: Evidence that the neck is a pain generator. Headache. 2010;4 699-705
Jull G, Stanton W. Predictors of responsiveness to physiotherapy management of cervicogenic headache. Cephalalgia. 2005;25:101-108.