March 2009

Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headache or a headache originating from the cervical or neck region occurs frequently. These headaches have been defined by the International Headache Society as pain that is felt in the head and/or face but is actually referred from the cervical region.
Structures in the neck have the ability to refer pain to the head and/or face through the complex functioning of the nervous system. People who experience cervicogenic headaches often have limitations in the mobility to move their neck freely, tenderness and pain in the muscles and joints in their neck, and also lack muscular endurance in their neck and upper back muscles.

There is high-quality research that supports physical therapy as a successful treatment for cervicogenic headaches. The utilization of hands-on manual physical therapy techniques and a physical therapy exercise program designed to strengthen specific muscles in the neck and upper back have been shown to be effective. Specifically, it was shown that the group of individuals receiving these physical therapy interventions had significant short and long-term improvements in neck pain, frequency of headaches, and intensity of headaches. Furthermore, they required significantly less utilization of medications than did those who did not receive physical therapy.

The diagnosis of the underlying cause of headaches is complex and requires significant training in some cases. Individuals should not attempt to determine the cause of the headaches they are experiencing on their own and should discuss the problems they are experiencing with their physician.

At Mountain River Physical Therapy, we perform a comprehensive evaluation on the first visit to determine specific impairments that may be contributing to your headaches and if it is determined that the problems are appropriate for physical therapy treatment, we will design a treatment approach for your headache that is based on the latest high-quality research evidence, your individual situation, and our clinical experience. This will most commonly include manual physical therapy treatment techniques to improve the mobility of your neck and upper back region, along with research based specific exercises for the muscles in your neck and muscles between your shoulder blades.

If you have any questions regarding the types of conditions that we specialize in treating or the types of treatment we offer for cervicogenic headaches, please do not hesitate to contact any of our locations for further information.