Headaches originating from the neck are often compared to migraine because of its symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The most effective treatment for this condition is to block the nerves that transmit the pain.
What is neck-related headache?
Contrary to popular belief, headaches are not always caused by disorders of the brain or other structures in the head. It has been thought for a long time that headache may also originate from the neck, and in 1983, the definition of “headache originating from the neck” was made by the International Headache Society. In this type of pain, disorders in various structures in the neck cause headache.
What are these structures?
Muscles in the neck region, neck vertebrae, disc cushions between the vertebrae, facet joints that play an important role in the movement of the neck; In short, all structures in the neck can be at the root of neck-related headaches. Excessive contraction of the muscles, deterioration of the vertebrae and discs, herniation in the discs, that is, neck hernias and joint calcifications cause these pains.
In whom neck headache is usually seen?
The neck part of our body is the part that carries the weight of the head and also the most moving part of our body. For this reason, neck-related headache can be seen at any age and in both genders, as it is very open to the harmful effects of external factors. In particular, patients who have had a traffic accident before should be evaluated very carefully in this respect.
Headache may occur even years after a traffic accident. Although this accident is not a major traffic accident, whiplash movement of the head to the front and back can create micro-traumas in the neck and pain may occur over time.
In addition, calcifications that occur in the bones and joints of the neck with aging invite neck-related headaches. In addition to these, due to various rheumatological diseases, problems in the neck joints may occur and may manifest as headaches. In addition, some of these patients may also have a history of doing hard sports in the past.
What are the symptoms of neck-related headache?
The pain starts from the back of the head and neck and radiates upwards. Although it sometimes spreads to the area around the eyes, this is rarely seen. It is usually unilateral. However, he can change sides, sometimes on the right and sometimes on the left. The pain is not of a squeezing or throbbing character, but is generally described as a contraction that starts from the neck and goes up.
Sensitivity to light and sound is usually absent. Nausea or vomiting may accompany it. It can easily be confused with migraine when accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Unfortunately, as with many types of headaches, neck headache patients were mistakenly treated as migraineurs and were given migraine treatment.
How is the diagnosis made?
For the diagnosis of neck-related headache, as in all headaches, first of all, it is necessary to listen to the patient’s complaints in detail. The location, frequency, extent, severity and other characteristics of the pain are questioned. Physical examination gives important clues. In addition, examination of the neck with radiological imaging methods may reveal the underlying discomfort. Cervical hernia can be seen with MRI of the neck, and deformations and calcifications in the facet joints can be seen with tomographic examination of the neck vertebrae.
What are the treatment methods?
Neck headache patients usually try many pain relievers after applying to the pain clinic. However, these pains do not go away as they do not respond well to pain medications. It is known that physiotherapy provides benefits by providing relaxation of neck movements and relieving muscle contractions in the neck. The most effective treatment method is blocking the nerves in the neck that transmit the pain by radiofrequency thermocoagulation method. The most prominent among these are the nerves of the joints called facet joints, which provide neck movements and are located between the neck vertebrae, stacked on both sides in the posterior part of the spine.
How many sessions does this process usually take?
The blocking process is a one-time process, not applied throughout the sessions. The procedure is performed with a special computer-assisted imaging method. The patient is slightly anesthetized to avoid any pain or discomfort during the procedure. However, general anesthesia (narcosis) is not required. After the procedure, the patient can continue his normal daily life after a few days of rest. Afterwards, with the regular exercise program to be given, the calcifications in the facet joints are opened and the recurrence of the pain is prevented.
What other methods are available?
After the cause has been established, there are various other methods of finding the cause. For example, if a headache occurs due to excessive contractions in the neck muscles, trigger point injections can be applied to these contracted points to relieve the pain. If pain radiating to the head occurs due to neck hernia, drug injections are applied to the herniated disc area if this hernia is not within the surgical limits.
