Cervicogenic headaches

We see a lot of people who suffer from headaches. Many headaches originate in the neck. Technically, they are called Cervicogenic Headaches. They are a result of dysfunction within the top three vertebral segments of the spine Dysfunction in the neck causes head pain in two distinct ways.

The 1st way

Convergence of nerves in the brain – the upper cervical spine (neck) and one of the sensation nerves of the head (Trigeminal nerve) both send messages to a common origin in
the brain. The brain mistakes messages from the dysfunctional cervical spine as coming from the head. This is a classic example of simple referred pain.

The 2nd way

Sensitisation of the brain – Think of it like a pot of bubbling soup on the stove. If the soup gets too hot, it will overflow and create problems. The electrical messages from the neck are
one strong source of input into the Trigemino-Cervical Nucleus that can “heat” up and cause sensitisation. If these messages are stronger than normal as with neck stiffness and pain, they can trigger brain sensitisation.

So…. What can we do about it?

At Health First Group, we use highly trained manual therapy skills to identify movement and position faults of the upper three neck joints that specifically relate to the production of head and neck pain. We can confirm almost immediately if disorders in the upper neck are responsible for headache or migraine. Within four treatments, we expect every headache patient to be significantly improved. If you suffer from headaches, come in and see one of our Physios who will be able to provide an assessment and recommend therapy. Call us now to book.