Almost everyone suffers from headaches at some point in their lives, and they can manifest themselves in many different ways. Four of the most common types of headaches are tension, migraine and cervicogenic, the latter of which refers to those that originate in the neck.
Tension headaches are most commonly described as a general headache with a dull tightness surrounding the scalp. This type of headache has a negative impact on mood and concentration,
and can even cause feelings of nausea. The jaw can also be affected by pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which often arises as a result of injury, misalignment, jaw clenching or general stress.
Cervicogenic headaches are usually characterised by an intense, non-throbbing pain on one side of the head. It can feel like the pain is directly behind the eyeball, and serious cases can cause nausea and vomiting. It is often accompanied by pain or discomfort in the upper neck, but comes with no visual disturbance or neurological signs.
Migraine headaches also involve intense pain on one side of the scalp, but often involve nausea, vomiting and vision problems. Sometimes, migraines begin with the visual disturbance up to 20 minutes before exhibiting other symptoms; this may be in the form of squiggly lines in the direct field of view or partial blind spots. The pain is almost always throbbing or pulsating, and those who suffer from these headaches are usually bedridden.
Treatment of these headaches
Your occupational therapist or chiropractor (click here) will begin by conducting a careful and detailed assessment of your neck and upper back. This process involves evaluating movement, palpation, posture, strength and function, in addition to specific pain provocation tests to locate the source of the pain experienced during your headaches.
For example, those who suffer from cervicogenic headaches commonly have a restricted cervical range of motion or distorted neck posture. This headache can sometimes be reproduced during assessment through movement of the neck.
A high number of headaches originating from the spine will be treated with acupressure, spinal adjustments and muscle release. The upper cervical region is commonly involved in this treatment.
Many tension headaches are linked to stress and the effect it has on the TMJ – the temporomandibular joint of the jaw. Stress management techniques are one of the most effective forms of treatment for these headaches.
Migraines may be affected by factors such as diet and hormones, which are often addressed through cooperation and co-management with other health professionals.
Research
Researchers from the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, released a report in 2001 that found “spinal manipulation resulted in almost immediate improvement for those headaches that originate in the neck, and had significantly fewer side effects and longer-lasting relief of tension-type headache than commonly prescribed medications.” McCrory, Penzlen, Hasselblad, Gray (2001), Duke Evidence Report
The findings of this report support those of a previous study published by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. This study found that spinal manipulative therapy can be a highly effective form of treatment for tension headaches. Boline et al. (1995), Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
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