What are cervicogenic headaches?
These are secondary headaches that are characterized by unilateral head pain and have signs and symptoms of neck involvement.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS:
• Gradual onset of neck pain or stiffness.• Dull ache usually situated at the back of the head.• Pain, pins and needles and numbness may also be felt in the upper back.• Symptoms are usually worse for moving and/or palpation of trigger points.
CAUSES:
• It is likely the pain is referred from one or more muscular, neurogenic, osseous (bone), articular (joints), or vascular structures in the neck.
• is often a sequela of head or neck injury but may also occur in the absence of trauma (Biondi).
TREATMENT:
- Antidepressants
- Antiepileptic Drugs such as gabapentin
- Analgesics such as aspirin, paracetemol and NSAIDs
- Physical and manual therapy such as osteopathy are important therapeutic modalities for the rehabilitation of cervicogenic headache, due their structural biomechanical origin.
- Behavioural and psychological interventions