Sharing treatment and management methods for cervical headaches

I was first diagnosed with cervical spondylosis after an X-ray taken after a car accident. Since then, I've been going to the hospital for neck and shoulder pain and pain in the back of my head after sitting for long periods of time. I'd like to share some treatment for cervical headaches.

 

1. What is cervicogenic headache?

 

This refers to a headache caused by an abnormality in the neck area. Headaches caused by cervical spine disease, such as forward head posture (straight neck), forward head posture (turtle neck), or cervical disc disease are called cervical headaches.

 

2. What are the characteristics of cervicogenic headaches?

 

It is characterized by pain in the occipital area of ​​the back of the head, pain in the neck, shoulder, and trapezius muscles, and if the cause is a cervical disc, numbness in the arms is also characteristic.

 

3. How to treat cervical headaches?

 

When you have a cervicogenic headache, taking painkillers will never solve it. At first, I took Tylenol because the back of my head hurt like a regular headache, but it didn't get better. So I looked into the nature of the pain and found out that it was a cervicogenic headache. I went to several departments, including orthopedics, neurology, and anesthesiology and pain medicine, and received treatment for cervicogenic headache. Most of them tried to restore the cervical curvature with correctional treatment and manual therapy. Then, finally, I went to the anesthesiology and pain medicine department, and they said I could get a pain injection, so I went to the cervicogenic headache treatment, got a pain injection in my neck, and received physical therapy, and my headaches were much reduced.

 

 

4. What are the home care methods for treating cervical headaches?

 

Since I can't go to the hospital every time I get a cervical headache, I've been consistently doing the McKenzie Stretch at home as a treatment for it. This stretch involves stretching your arms out to the side, narrowing the space between your shoulder blades, and slightly tilting your neck back. It relaxes the muscles around your neck, which is refreshing, so I do it often. I also bought a neck massager to treat my cervical headaches, and I use it every night to relax my neck muscles. My headaches have significantly decreased, which is very satisfying. Above all, maintaining good posture is essential. Avoiding bending your head and looking straight ahead when working are crucial.