Cervicogenic Headache Treatment at Home

Headache pain can affect anyone, from children and adolescents to adults; in fact, it is likely to affect just about everyone at some point: about 96% of people experience a headache at least once in their lifetime.

While the experience of having your day derailed by headache pain may be virtually universal, the cause, severity, frequency and type of headaches can vary widely – sometimes in the same individual.

Where do headaches come from, anyway?

Headache pain is the result of multiple mechanisms in your brain, blood vessels and surrounding nerves activating to create a perfect storm, one that sends pain signals to your brain, causing a headache.

Most headache pain fits into two categories: primary headaches; and secondary headaches.

Types of primary headaches include:

• Tension headaches. These are the most common type of headache, and often neuromuscular cause, usually the neck and shoulders, brought on by poor posture or stress (from holding our bodies stiff and tense – sound familiar?)
• Migraine headaches. Like cervicogenic headaches, migraines usually cause severe, unrelenting pain on one side of the head. Bright lights, strong odors, noise, and physical activity can both cause and worsen migraine pain.
• Cluster headaches. Arguably the most painful and disruptive, cluster headaches cause severe, one-sided head pain and happen multiple times per day, usually following a pattern. Medication is often required to help patients cope with the intensity of cluster headache pain.

Some primary headaches, like migraines, may have a genetic link; for others the cause is unknown, as primary headaches do not have an underlying medical cause. However, they can be triggered by lifestyle factors, like:

• Alcohol, particularly red wine.
• Foods that contain nitrates
• Disrupted sleep or lack of sleep.
• Neuromuscular causes (as mentioned above)
• Exertion
• Low blood sugar

Types of secondary headaches:

Unlike primary headaches, secondary headaches are usually linked to a medical condition – although they are rarely dangerous and typically resolve with treatment of the underlying cause. Secondary headaches can be caused by:

• Dehydration
• Sinus congestion
• Medication overuse

When headache pain turns dangerous

If you are experiencing these signs or symptoms of headache pain, seek medical attention immediately.

Spinal headaches: Typically a side effect from a spinal tap procedure, spinal headaches are potentially life-threatening, intense headaches that occur when spinal fluid leaks out of the membrane covering your spinal cord. Most can be treated at home, but it’s important to report any post-spinal tap headache pain to your doctor, as prolonged, untreated spinal headaches can cause life-threatening complications.

Thunderclap headaches: Intensely painful, these serious headache comes on suddenly, like a clap of thunder, reach their most intense severity within one minute of onset, and last at least five minutes. While they can sometimes be harmless, it’s important to seek immediate medical attention as thunderclap headaches can indicate:

• Head injury
• Brain bleed
• Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
• A sudden, severe rise in blood pressure

An exception to these general rules is new daily persistent headaches (NDPH), a rare but disruptive and often chronic condition. NDPH can be considered primary – as when there is no known cause – or secondary, as when NDPH is linked to an illness or injury.

Understanding Cervicogenic headache pain

Ask any chiropractor about cervicogenic headaches and they’ll probably have a lot to say. We treat them commonly in our clinics because cervicogenic headaches are considered a secondary headache. In their case, the underlying cause of pain is usually your cervical spine.

A cervicogenic headache (CGH) originates in the neck, usually causing pain unilaterally, or along both sides. They’re what we describe as referred pain – pain that is felt in one area of the body, but originates in another – in this case, the cause of pain is the bony structures or soft tissues of the neck. Neck movement is the primary culprit for cervicogenic headache pain, which is why most cervicogenic headaches are accompanied by reduced range of motion in the neck. Painful and disruptive, it’s common to confuse them migraine or tension headache pain.

Here’s how to know if you may be dealing with a cervicogenic headache:

• The pain starts in your neck with pain symptoms moving to your head or face
• The neck is the problem, not the head. A headache is not confirmed to be cervicogenic until clinical signs implicate a source of pain – a diagnosis that can pinpoint and issue in your cervical structures.
• Pain resolves within three months after successful treatment of the underlying cervical spine condition.

Cervicogenic headaches usually arise from issues in the C1, C2, and C3 of the spine, irritating the surrounding nerves.

What conditions cause cervicogenic headaches?

So how do you end up with a cervicogenic headache? What conditions or habits are happening in the neck to lead to this kind of pain?

While it doesn’t usually show up on MRI, whiplash is an acknowledged and painful condition that results when a car accident or other trauma snaps your head forward or backward. The result? Painful tightening in your neck and shoulders which can lead to – you guessed it – cervicogenic headaches.

But whiplash is not the only cause. Other conditions that cause cervicogenic headaches include:

• Arthritis in the neck.
• Neck fractures.
• Pinched nerves.
• Slipped disks.
• Strained or sprained neck muscles.

Can poor posture cause cervicogenic headache pain?

While not as serious as a fracture or a disc injury in the short-term, poor posture can have long term affects. Hours spent sitting curved over a desk, laptop, steering wheel or phone can lead to forward head carriage, a common postural fault that occurs when the head is positioned forward of the shoulders and in front of the body’s vertical midline. In neutral head posture, the ears line up with the shoulders and midline.

The added pounds of pressure on your spine, muscles, and surrounding nerves can lead to painful cervicogenic headaches. Forward head carriage can result from just about any behavior performed with poor posture over a long period of time – things like:

• Slouching, hunching or slumping, especially while at a desk, driving, or using your phone
• Poor sleeping posture – like using a pillow that doesn’t support the neck or holds it at too high an angle
• Habitually carrying a heavy backpack or purse on one shoulder
• Too little activity or exercise, which can lead to weakness in the muscles of the upper back

Arthritis and bone degeneration can also lead to cervicogenic headaches as inflammation puts pressure on the nerves, and degeneration of the cervical joint causes disc prolapse.

Finding relief from cervicogenic headache pain

There are several options for cervicogenic headache treatment at home, though most are not simple one-and-done treatments. The key to cervicogenic headache treatment at home is to correct the underlying issue. Cervicogenic headache treatment at home is possible but requires consistency and commitment. Here’s how to get started.

• Practice good sleeping posture. How you sleep can make a huge difference in how you feel – and we don’t just mean waking up well-rested. Your sleep posture and habits can affect your entire body, so it’s important to practice good ergonomics, even at night. When it comes to protecting the health of your neck, your best bets are to sleep on your side or your back. Harvard Medical School’s Harvard Health Publishing recommends these tips for a better night’s sleep – and a better morning.
  • Use the right pillow. A rounded pillow will support the natural curve of your neck. Try using a feather pillow, which easily conforms to the shape of the neck. Try a pillow designed for neck support and remember that feather pillows lose their support more quickly than other fibers, and should be replaced yearly. “Memory foam” that conforms to the contour of your head and neck is a great option to help foster proper spinal alignment. Avoid using too high or stiff a pillow, which keeps the neck flexed overnight and can result in morning pain and stiffness.
  • If you sleep on your side, keep your spine straight by using a pillow that is higher under your neck than your head.
• When you are riding in a plane, train, or car, or even just reclining to watch TV, a horseshoe-shaped pillow can support your neck and prevent your head from dropping to one side if you doze. If the pillow is too large behind the neck, however, it will force your head forward.
• While it can be tough to change your sleeping position, if you’re suffering from cervicogenic headaches, it might be worthwhile. Sleeping on your stomach tough can be tough on your spine, causing your back to arch while holding your neck in a rotated position.
• Practice good ergonomics. The hours you spend at a desk or upright at a computer or workstation can really add up. These tips can help you protect your posture and neck health and prevent cervicogenic headaches. When at your desk or workstation (sitting or standing!:
  • Be sure you’re looking straight ahead; your eyes should point directly at the top third of the computer screen.
  • Check your arm positioning: are your forearms parallel with the floor? If not, make an adjustment.
  • Same with your elbows- they should out to your side.
  • If you’re sitting, your feet should be flat on the floor, thighs parallel to the floor.
• Master massage. While they cannot correct any spinal misalignments or joint restrictions behind your cervicogenic headache, foam rollers, massage balls, and electric massage guns (you’ll need a buddy) can help relieve muscle tension that may be putting pressure on surrounding nerves.
• Try the time-tested methods for pain relief. Cold therapy, heat therapy, and over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can provide relief from pain symptoms. Try using them in conjunction with the tips above for maximum benefit.
• Practice stress relief. Tensing, slouching, and hunching can all lead to postural misalignments, muscle imbalances, and joint restrictions that can cause cervicogenic headaches. Conscious relaxation (bring those shoulders down away from your ears; relax your jaw) can help, especially combined with good ergonomics and regular activity.

Simple stretches and exercises to relieve cervicogenic headaches

• Neck stretches: Sitting or standing, gently tilt your head to one side, trying to touch your ear to your shoulder. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
• Shoulder shrugs: Raise your shoulders up toward your ears and hold for a few seconds before lowering them back down. Repeat 10 times.
• Chin tucks: This simple move can help improve neck, head and shoulder alignment. Sit up straight and pull your chin back, as if you’re making a double chin. Hold for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat 10 times.
• Scapular retraction: This exercise can help cervicogenic headaches by strengthening the upper back. Imagine trying to hold a ball between your shoulder blades. Pinch your shoulder blades together – try and squeeze them as close to each other as possible.
• Trapezius stretching: This exercise helps to release the upper trapezius muscles. Stand or sitting upright. Next, bring your left ear down to your left shoulder, keeping the shoulder lowered (don’t hunch it up.) Staying in this position, take the left hand and place it over the top of the right side of the head. Gently pull the head to the left, feel a light stretch along the right shoulder and neck. Hold for 30 seconds and then return to center. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.

All of these tips can help you manage the pain of cervicogenic headaches. To get relief that lasts, the best option may be to seek out support. Chiropractic care can correct spinal and postural misalignments, relieve inflammation and address disc issues and other injuries. Your chiropractor will help you find the root cause of your cervicogenic headaches and treat the underlying issue to help stop pain where it starts.

Find a Chiro One clinic near you or book an appointment today.