Neck Pain and Headaches

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How Are Neck Pain and Headaches Related?

The neck can cause headaches. These type of headaches are called Cervicogenic headaches. They typically result from problems in the neurovascular and musculoskeletal structures in the neck.

A common symptom of neck pain is headaches. JOI RehabWoman with a Headache from Neck Pain

Problems in this area can trigger pain messages that are sent to the brain and interpreted as headaches. Head pain from the neck will be noticed at:

  • Base of the head
  • Top of the neck
  • Forehead
  • Behind an eye 
  • Top or crown of the head

It is common to see patients that have cervicogenic headaches due to mobility problems in the upper cervical spine (C1,C2,C3). Either the joints lack mobility and are very stiff or they are too mobile causing strain to the surrounding structures. Either condition can result in pain that is experienced in the neck or head.

Common Factors for Headaches from the Neck

Some cervicogenic headaches can result from soft tissue injury. This is often called a neck sprain. A neck sprain can happen with Whiplash during a car accident or with any kind of impact or trauma. 

With these injuries the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that help stabilize the neck are over stretched and injured.  This causes pain and inflammation. 

Other common factors related to neck pain and headaches are flexibility deficits and muscle strength imbalances. 

This is often observed in patients with poor head and shoulder posture. The repetitive stress of poor posture can lead to head and neck pain.

Cervicogenic Headaches

Common patterns of headaches from the upper neck include:

C0-1 – forehead, eye, base of the head

C1-2 – forehead, temporal area

anatomical image of the bones of the neck with labels to show specific anatomy

Getting Headache Help

Getting relief from a headache that comes form the neck starts with identifying the cause of the headache.

Headaches from the neck are often confused with Migraine headaches. A physician can help to make an accurate diagnosis. 

Sometimes X-rays can give beneficial information in regards to this condition. More importantly will be a physical evaluation looking at the mobility of your neck, posture, flexibility and strength of the muscles supporting your neck, and palpating the many different structures that make up the cervical spine.

Taking an accurate history of your symptoms is important as well. There a several common patterns seen with cervicogenic headaches. 

Usually (but not always) patients who suffer from these headaches will complain of pain that starts in the neck and migrates to the base of the skull and moves forward towards the front of the head. Usually one side is more painful.

Click to read about headaches related to a Concussion.

Am I Having a Migraine?

Migraine headaches are different than cervicogenic headaches. They occur inside the head where as a cervicogenic headaches come from the neck. The pain can feel similar but there are other symptoms to keep in mind. Things that make Migraine Headaches different are:

  • Last from several days to a week
  • can cause nausea and visual disturbances
  • light sensitivity
  • May not respond to neck treatment
  • May be debilitating

Migraines are treated with specific medications that are different from typical anti-inflammatory pain medications. 

Treatment for Headaches

Physical therapy is usually the best initial way to treat a cervicogenic headache. Manual therapy such as joint mobilization methods are used to help improve the mobility in stiff joints. 

Massage techniques are performed to relax muscles that have become tense or are in spasm. 

Stabilization exercises for the cervical spine can help to decrease the repetitive stress on cervical structures that cause headaches. 

Stretching and postural training may also be helpful.

In cases where physical therapy and massage do not help, oral medications or injections may be used to calm the pain and inflammation. 

Neck Pain Physical Therapy in Jacksonville

If you are interested in receiving physical therapy, visit us at one of our 12 rehab physical therapy centers or three spine centers. 

Our website medical library has several articles on all of the injuries listed below.  Please go to JOI Library or JOI Trending.

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By: Ehren Allen, DPT, COMT

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