Cervicogenic headache: evidence that the neck is a pain generator
One article on PainSci cites Becker 2010: The Complete Guide to Chronic Tension Headaches
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
This review was developed as part of a debate, and takes the "pro" stance that abnormalities of structures in the neck can be a significant source of headache. The argument for this is developed from a review of the medical literature, and is made in 5 steps. It is clear that the cervical region contains many pain-sensitive structures, and that these are prone to injury. The anatomical and physiological mechanisms are in place to allow referral of pain to the head including frontal head regions and even the orbit in patients with pain originating from many of these neck structures. Clinical studies have shown that pain from cervical spine structures can in fact be referred to the head. Finally, clinical treatment trials involving patients with proven painful disorders of upper cervical zygapophysial joints have shown significant headache relief with treatment directed at cervical pain generators. In conclusion, painful disorders of the neck can give rise to headache, and the challenge is to identify these patients and treat them successfully.
related content
- “International Headache Society headache diagnostic patterns in pain facility patients,” Fishbain et al, The Clinical Journal of Pain, 2001.
- “Prevalence of cervicogenic headache: Vågå study of headache epidemiology,” Sjaastad et al, Acta Neurol Scand, 2008.
- “Cervicogenic headache: an assessment of the evidence on clinical diagnosis, invasive tests, and treatment,” Bogduk et al, Lancet Neurol, 2009.
- “The neck and headaches,” Bogduk, Neurol Clin, 2014.
Becker 2010 is about:
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This page is part of the PainScience BIBLIOGRAPHY, which contains plain language summaries of thousands of scientific papers & others sources. It’s like a highly specialized blog. A few highlights:
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