Is it a headache or is it neck pain??
The answer is… sometimes it’s actually both!
Cervicogenic headaches are usually felt at the back of the head and are caused by tension and pain in the back of your neck. This can be a result of:
- A strain on the muscles in the neck, commonly due to extended periods of time at a desk or looking down at your phone causing the muscles to tighten up.
- A sudden neck pain from a sprained joint in the neck.
People with cervicogenic headaches often experience stiffness, an ache or even a sharp pain in the upper neck which spreads up into the back and sometimes top of your head. Commonly one side of the neck will be sore, and the headache will be felt on that same side as the neck pain.
Why can’t it just be neck pain? Why does my neck pain have to give me a headache?
- The reason why it turns into a headache has to do with the relationship between pain and the function of our neck and a number of complex factors that contribute to headaches. A simple explanation is called referred pain. This is where the pain from your neck is poorly localised and it spreads to other areas of the body. In this case that spread of pain is unfortunately into the back of the head, causing headaches.
What can I do to fix it and how can I prevent it?
At Canterbury Health Hub we know how painful and irritating cervicogenic headaches can be, which is why we are here to help! Here are two simple things you can do to get on top of your pain:
- Stretch the back of your neck
- Looking down at your left hip, place your left hand on the top of your head and pull gently down to stretch the muscles on the right-hand side of the back of your neck.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times daily.
- Strengthening
- A banded row is great for strengthening our back and shoulders, pulling our shoulders back and allowing the muscles to withstand the load they take on a day to day basis.
- To perform: Wrap a resistance band around a door handle so that you have the same length in each hand. Then with your feet shoulder-width apart pull back on the band, driving your elbows back towards your back pockets.
- One helpful tip when doing this exercise is to make sure you keep your shoulder relaxed and down (not shrugged up by your ears) to target your back muscles more than your neck and shoulder muscles!
- This aims to increase the chances that you won’t be as sore after a long week at work.
Give these techniques a try and let us know how you go with them!
At Canterbury Health Hub, our team of Osteopaths, Myotherapists and Remedial Massage Therapists work together to assess, treat, and manage head and neck pain using a personalised, hands-on approach. We focus on relieving discomfort, improving mobility, and addressing the root cause of your pain, not just the symptoms.
Book online here and let’s work together to help you move well, feel well, and live well.