Continuing with the current series of blog articles about common problems that we as physiotherapists help people with, today we will look at headaches that are caused by problems in the neck and poor posture.

These are often referred to as cervicogenic headaches.

 So, how can problems with the neck cause headaches? Well before we can answer that we need to first have a brief look at the anatomy of the neck and shoulders and also we need to say that not all headaches are caused by problems in the neck and to know what is actually causing your headache it needs a full assessment by a qualified professional. Anatomically the neck (cervical spine) is an amazing structure allowing a huge range of motion in all planes whilst keeping the head anchored to the torso.

The cervical spine is made up of 7 vertebrae with corresponding intervertebral disks and at the level of each disk a nerve root exits the spinal cord. Each vertebrae has small facet joints to each side which connect the vertebrae with each other and running up the posterior aspect of the vertebrae is a long ligament called the ligamentum nuchae. The first two cervical vertebrae are very different to the others and C1 is know as the Atlas and C2 is the Axis. The weight of the skull rests firmly upon C1 and C2 underneath has a large vertical tooth called the odontoid peg which allows for a large amount of rotation.

Furthermore there are a large number of muscles that enable the neck and head to move, the largest and easiest to see is the trapezius which runs in a diamond shape from occiput (bump at the back of the head) down to the shoulders and back. Underneath the occiput are several small muscles called the sub-occipitals and either side of the neck are the cervical erector spinae. Finally running from the mastoid process (just at the side of the neck and in front of the ear) down to the clavicle and sternum is the sternocleidomastoid. Phew! That is a lot of anatomy and to be truthful I have left out several muscles of the neck.

So, how does the neck or the structures in the neck cause headaches? Well as mentioned most of the muscles of the neck also connect with the skull and if these muscles get irritated - such as the trapezius they can start to pull harder than usual on the skull. For example a headache focused at the back of the head at the occiput can often be attributed to the trapezius muscles spasming and therefore irritating this area. Often this spasm or irritation of the trapezius is caused by being in a poor posture for a long period. If other muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid are irritated these can spasm and cause pain that is more localised at the side of the head. Sometimes patients will complain of frontal head pain that on assessment is found to be occurring because a large number of muscles in the neck are in spasm and these are pulling very hard on the structures where they insert into the skull.

Treatment for cervicogenic headaches will usually involve some soft tissue massage to relieve and ease tension in the muscles involved, some spinal manipulation to free up and joints that are not moving well and possibly acupuncture to help relax the patient. One key component is improving posture and avoiding being in the position that is irritating your neck for too long. As mentioned earlier though not all headaches come from the neck and it is important that if you have concerns you get an assessment from a goo physiotherapist to determine what is causing your headache.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog post. For anyone reading this blog who hasn't come across our site before: we are a home visit physiotherapy service, based in Lichfield but serving anywhere within a 25 minute drive including areas such as Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Burton and Rugeley. We offer a wide range of services including paediatric physiotherapy, post-operative rehabilitation, neurological physiotherapy and neck and back pain relief. If you need further information or would like to book an appointment we can be contacted on 0788 428 1623 or via enquiries@threespiresphysiotherapy.co.uk