Cervicogenic Headaches

Headaches that come from your neck!

in Chiropractor  by May 25, 2021 0 comments

One of the main reasons people come to see your Chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area are headaches.  Headaches caused by the neck joints and muscles are fixable at a chiropractic office.  Some headaches aren’t as easy to help people with but cervicogenic headaches can be helped with chiropractic care.

Neck pain and headaches are linked more often than you would think.  Most people think they have a headache and it is local to the head.  Further investigation could find the cause being your neck.  There are two major types of headaches:  Migraines (which we all seem to know about) and cervicogenic.   Most people assume a really bad headache is just a migraine.  This isn’t always the case and more often than not the headache is coming from the upper neck region.  This is the reason migraine medication doesn’t work on these headaches.

Getting the headaches properly diagnosed will help people properly treat them.  I see tons of patients who come in with “migraines.”  They explain the entire headache.  It starts in the back of my neck then shoots into my head.  By this point they are taking their medication but it never seems to work.  Then they sit in a dark room and try and ride out the “migraine.”

Visiting Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is a great place to start to get the headaches properly diagnosed.  If that isn’t possible check out a local chiropractor who can help you properly diagnose the headache.   The headache could be what is called a cervicogenic headache.  Sound scary but it is treatable and generally chiropractic care is the place to begin.

By definition a cervicogenic headache is any headache which is caused by the neck. The term ‘cervicogenic’ simply refers the cervical area, which is a part of your spine located right near the base of the skull. The pain of cervicogenic headache is usually unilateral; it originates in the neck and then spreads to the oculofrontal-temporal areas of the head. The headache initially presents as intermittent episodes and then progresses to an almost continuous pain. Pain may be triggered or exacerbated by neck movement or a particular neck position; it can also be triggered by applying pressure over the ipsilateral upper part of the back of the neck or the ipsilateral occipital region.   If this sounds like your headache visiting a Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge Virginia may help.

There are some simple things you can do at home to help prevent the headaches if you can’t get to a chiropractor.

Relaxation

Heat or cool the head and neck

Mobilizing

Postural exercise

Improve your computer work station ergonomics (see our tips on this in other blogs at doroskichiropractic.com)

Of course if the headaches are severe enough and none of your home therapies are working do not hesitate to contact your Doctor.  Headaches could be a symptom of a more serious problem and your Doctor will be able to do further testing or imaging to rule out more serious conditions.

 

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map link

Oh my aching head!

in Chiropractor  by October 16, 2020 0 comments

As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area I am seeing more and more patients with a chief complaint of headaches.  Of course looking at how things are right now that isn’t to surprising.  The good thing is I am able to help a lot of them because the headaches are coming from the top of their necks.

Research shows that spinal manipulation – the primary form of care provided by doctors of chiropractic – may be an effective treatment option for tension headaches and headaches that originate in the neck.

A report released in 2001 by researchers at the Duke University Evidence-Based Practice Center in Durham, NC, found that 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 a commonly prescribed medication.

Also, a 1995 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that spinal manipulative therapy is an effective treatment for tension headaches and that those who ceased chiropractic treatment after four weeks experienced a sustained therapeutic benefit in contrast with those patients who received a commonly prescribed medication.

 

Headache Triggers

Headaches have many causes, or “triggers.” These may include foods, environmental stimuli (noises, lights, stress, etc.) and/or behaviors (insomnia, excessive exercise, blood sugar changes, etc.). About 5 percent of all headaches are warning signals caused by physical problems.

Ninety-five percent of headaches are primary headaches, such as tension, migraine, or cluster headaches. These types of headaches are not caused by disease. The headache itself is the primary concern.

“The greatest majority of primary headaches are associated with muscle tension in the neck,” says Dr. George B. McClelland, a doctor of chiropractic from Christiansburg, VA. “Today, Americans engage in more sedentary activities than they used to, and more hours are spent in one fixed position or posture. This can increase joint irritation and muscle tension in the neck, upper back and scalp, causing your head to ache.”

 

What Can You Do?

The ACA suggests the following:

If you spend a large amount of time in one fixed position, such as in front of a computer, on a sewing machine, typing or reading, take a break and stretch every 30 minutes to one hour. The stretches should take your head and neck through a comfortable range of motion.

Low-impact exercise may help relieve the pain associated with primary headaches. However, if you are prone to dull, throbbing headaches, avoid heavy exercise. Engage in such activities as walking and low-impact aerobics.

Avoid teeth clenching. The upper teeth should never touch the lowers, except when swallowing. This results in stress at the temporomandibular joints (TMJ) – the two joints that connect your jaw to your skull – leading to TMJ irritation and a form of tension headaches.

Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day to help avoid dehydration, which can lead to headaches.

What Can a Doctor of Chiropractic Do?

Dr. McClelland says your doctor of chiropractic may do one or more of the following if you suffer from a primary headache:

Perform spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments to improve spinal function and alleviate the stress on your system.

Provide nutritional advice, recommending a change in diet and perhaps the addition of B complex vitamins.

Offer advice on posture, ergonomics (work postures), exercises and relaxation techniques. This advice should help to relieve the recurring joint irritation and tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back.

“Doctors of chiropractic undergo extensive training to help their patients in many ways – not just back pain,” says Dr. McClelland. “They know how tension in the spine relates to problems in other parts of the body, and they can take steps to relieve those problems.”

 

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map Link

The pain in my neck is giving me a headache!

in Chiropractor  by May 8, 2020 0 comments

As your chiropractor in the Woodbridge, Dale City VA area headaches are a very common problem that I see.  Most times the headaches are associated with some type of neck pain.  This is the type of headache that responds very well to chiropractic care.

Neck pain and headaches are linked more often than you would think.  Most people think they have a headache and it is local to the head.  Further investigation could find the cause being your neck.  There are two major types of headaches:  Migraines (which we all seem to know about) and cervicogenic.   Most people assume a really bad headache is just a migraine.  This isn’t always the case and more often than not the headache is coming from the upper neck region.  This is the reason migraine medication doesn’t work on these headaches.

Getting the headaches properly diagnosed will help people properly treat them.  I see tons of patients who come in with “migraines.”  They explain the entire headache.  It starts in the back of my neck then shoots into my head.  By this point they are taking their medication but it never seems to work.  Then they sit in a dark room and try and ride out the “migraine.”

Visiting Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge VA is a great place to start to get the headaches properly diagnosed.  If that isn’t possible check out a local chiropractor who can help you properly diagnose the headache.   The headache could be what is called a cervicogenic headache.  Sound scary but it is treatable and generally chiropractic care is the place to begin.

By definition a cervicogenic headache is any headache which is caused by the neck. The term ‘cervicogenic’ simply refers the cervical area, which is a part of your spine located right near the base of the skull. The pain of cervicogenic headache is usually unilateral; it originates in the neck and then spreads to the oculofrontal-temporal areas of the head. The headache initially presents as intermittent episodes and then progresses to an almost continuous pain. Pain may be triggered or exacerbated by neck movement or a particular neck position; it can also be triggered by applying pressure over the ipsilateral upper part of the back of the neck or the ipsilateral occipital region.   If this sounds like your headache visiting a Doroski Chiropractic Neurology in Woodbridge Virginia may help.

There are some simple things you can do at home to help prevent the headaches if you can’t get to a chiropractor.

Relaxation

Heat or cool the head and neck

Mobilizing

Postural exercise

Improve your computer work station ergonomics (see our tips on this in other blogs at doroskichiropractic.com)

Of course if the headaches are severe enough and none of your home therapies are working do not hesitate to contact your Doctor.  Headaches could be a symptom of a more serious problem and your Doctor will be able to do further testing or imaging to rule out more serious conditions.

 

Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map link

Cervicogenic Headaches

in Chiropractor  by August 11, 2017 0 comments

I see lots of headaches in my Woodbridge, Dale City VA Chiropractic office.  They include migraines, tension headaches and cervicogenic headaches.  One of the most common ones I see are cervicogenic headaches.  This is that headache that starts at the back top of your neck and radiates into the back of your head.  It sometimes makes it to the temples.  This type of headache generally doesn’t respond to the common migraine medications.  Patients generally notice relief from OTC pain medication but once it wears off the headache comes back.  Here is some information on cervicogenic headaches and be sure to consult a chiropractor for them.

Cervicogenic headache is referred pain (pain perceived as occurring in a part of the body other than its true source) perceived in the head from a source in the neck. Cervicogenic headache is a secondary headache, which means that it is caused by another illness or physical issue. In the case of cervicogenic headache, the cause is a disorder of the cervical spine and its component bony, disc and/or soft tissue elements. Numerous pain sensitive structures exist in the cervical (upper neck) and occipital (back of head) regions. The junction of the skull and cervical vertebrae have regions that are pain generating, including the lining of the cervical spine, the joints, ligaments, cervical nerve roots, and vertebral arteries passing through the cervical vertebral bodies.

The term cervicogenic headache is commonly misued and does not simply apply to a headache associated with neck pain; many headache disorders, including migraine and tension-type headache, can have associated neck pain/tension. Rather there must be evidence of a disorder or lesion within the cervical spine or soft tissues of the neck, known to be able to cause headache. Such disorders include tumours, fractures, infections and rheumatoid arthritis of the upper cervical spine. There is debate as to whether cervical spondylosis (age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck) can cause cervicogenic headache.

People with cervicogenic headache often have reduced range of motion of their neck and worsening of their headache with certain movements of their neck or pressure applied to certain spots on their neck. The headaches are often side-locked (on one side only) and the pain may radiate from their neck/back of the head up and to the front of the head or behind the eye. The headache may or may not be associated with neck pain.

People suspected of having cervicogenic headache should be carefully assessed by their doctor to exclude other primary (migraine, tension-type) or secondary (vessel dissection, posterior fossa lesions) causes of headaches.

Nerve blocks are used both for diagnostic and treatment purposes. If numbing the cervical structures abolishes the headache that can confirm the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache and also provide relief from the pain.

Treatment for cervicogenic headache should target the cause of the pain in the neck, and varies depending upon what works best for the individual patient. A very successful type of treatment is chiropractic care. A chiropractor can properly diagnose and treat this type of headache.

 

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Doroski Chiropractic Neurology

3122 Golansky Blvd, Ste 102

Woodbridge VA 22192

703 730 9588

Map Link