Headache in diseases of the cervical spine

Headaches that are localized at the back of the head or that pull over the head from behind are often associated with the cervical spine. There are many different names for this type of headache such as neck headache, cervical spine syndrome or occipital headache. The diagnosis of headache originating in the cervical spine is often made, but it is a very imprecise term because the causes can be very different. The pain can be unilateral or bilateral or change sides. The triggering factor is often a long-lasting position in which the head has to be held, for example when doing office work. Headaches emanating from the cervical spine are more common when you wake up in the morning.

Read more on the subject at: Back of the headache

Symptoms

Drawing headachethat run along the line from the neck over the back of the head to the middle of the head are typical of headaches emanating from the cervical spine. But also sharp pain at the level of the second cervical vertebra or directly at the back of the head are described. The painful tracts or points are painful when pressed, a typical characteristic is the so-called Pain in knocking when tapping the cervical spine. On the other hand, slight movements or stretching of the neck or head provide relief. Most neck headaches worsen when the head is in extreme positions, for example when the chin is placed on the chest or the head is extremely rotated. Those affected often complain too much Tension and hardening in the shoulder and neck area, also radiating pain in arms and fingers are possible. The tension often leads to one painful stiffness of movement. In combination with the headache you can Dizziness, blurred vision and Ringing in the ears occur. Sometimes neurological symptoms such as Tingling, numbness, or paralysis observed.

causes

Tension in the muscles in the neck and back seems to be a major cause of headaches coming from the cervical spine. But also tension in the temporomandibular joint, rear-end collisions with whiplash, certain sitting positions (e.g. in front of the monitor), tension in the skull bones or the structures in the cranial fossa, or pelvic inclinations are discussed as possible causes of neck headaches.
Other possible causes of pain are:

• Disc protrusions of the cervical spine
• Herniated discs of the cervical spine
• Wear and tear (facet arthrosis)
• Blockages of the cervical spine
  or
• Inflammation of the small joints in the cervical spine

Tension in the trapezius area plays a role in the cause of muscle tension. The trapezius is a muscle that pulls from the thoracic spine over the neck to the back of the head. In its course there are often painful tensions, points or tracts that are painful to pressure. Muscle tension is the result of overstimulation of the muscle, which leads to cramping of the muscle fibers. As a result of this constant tension in the muscle, the muscle area is no longer supplied with blood. This creates a negative cycle, as the muscle would need good blood circulation in order to release the tension by itself. A nerve runs through the trapezius at the back of the head (Major occipital nerve) coming from the second cervical vertebra. This nerve is responsible for the sensitive perception of sensations such as pressure, touch, vibration, pain and temperature both from the hairy scalp in the area of ​​the back of the head (Occipital region) and the meninges of the posterior fossa.

Many theories explain the development of cervical spine headaches due to incorrect posture (e.g. due to the working position, incorrect training, overstretching of the muscles) in connection with a lack of movement. Nevertheless, there are always people who complain of headaches that originate in the cervical spine, for which structural causes have been ruled out and who move and stretch a lot (e.g. top athletes, craftsmen, yoga athletes). So it seems to be individual to a certain extent how quickly a person develops neck headaches due to back tension.

Misaligned jaws, nocturnal teeth grinding, wrong biting or grinding with the jaws during the day can also lead to headaches due to tension in the jaw joint. There are close mechanical and neural connections between the cervical spine and the temporomandibular joint, which could explain the connection. Tensions in the temporomandibular joint that continue on the neck and trigger headaches are often treated with bite splints, which are supposed to prevent crunching. Another cause can be whiplash injuries, for example as part of a rear-end collision. This creates jerky forces in the upper cervical spine, which can trigger severe headaches. The cause of the complaints seems to be irritation of the cervical vertebrae and the surrounding tissue from the unnatural forces in a whiplash.

Asymmetries caused by a pelvic inclination can be transmitted to the spine via the muscles (e.g. via the hip flexor muscle, musculus iliopsoas), continue to the cervical spine and lead to headaches. A protruding disc (Protrusion) or a herniated disc (Prolapse) in the cervical spine area can also trigger neck headaches. Usually there is accompanying pain in the arms.

Read more on this topic at: Causes of headache

therapy

Treatment for headache radiating from the cervical spine should be based on the cause. The most common forms of treatment are physiotherapy (Physiotherapy), Sports, massages and a drug pain therapy. Learning exercises for Loosening of the shoulder and neck muscles or to Improve joint function can lead to permanent improvement of the cervical spine-related headache. Basically, it is advisable to use the Strengthen back muscles and Compensate for bad postureto counteract the headache. Chirotherapeutic unblocking in the area of ​​the cervical spine, especially in the area of ​​the intervertebral joints, can provide relief. Chirotherapeutic measures on the cervical spine should only be carried out by an experienced doctor or therapist, as this can lead to severe nerve damage.

Some naturopathic procedures can be tried for the treatment of headaches originating in the cervical spine.So it is possible that food intolerances are treated as a trigger, but also different types of acupuncture are supposed to help as natural healing methods against headaches caused by the cervical spine.

Often a so-called Neural therapy used against the neck headache. In neural therapy, certain points in the shoulder and neck area local anesthetics (Local anesthetics) are injected to harmonize and relax the tissue.