Treatment Methods for Neck Headache
Memorial Hospital Agri Polyclinic Uz. Dr. Mehmet Celik answered many of our questions about neck-related headache and treatment methods that are of interest to many of us.
It is often compared to migraine because of symptoms such as headache, nausea and vomiting from the neck. The most effective treatment for this condition is to block the nerves that transmit the pain.
What is a neck-related headache?
Contrary to popular belief, headaches do not always arise from the brain or other disorders of the head. It was thought for a long time that headache might be caused by the neck and in 1983, the International Headache Association defined ”neck-related headache”. In this type of pain, disorders of various structures in the neck cause headaches.
What are these structures?
Muscles in the neck region, cervical vertebrae, disc cushions between the vertebrae, facet joints that play an important role in the movement of the neck; in short, all the structures in the neck can be at the origin of the neck-related headache. Excessive contraction of muscles, disruption of the vertebrae and discs, herniated discs, ie neck hernia and joint calcification can cause these pain.
Who usually has neck-related headache?
The neck part of our body is the most moving part of our body that carries the weight of the head. Therefore, neck headache can be seen at any age and in both sexes because it is very susceptible to the harmful effects of external factors. Especially patients who have had a traffic accident before should be evaluated very carefully. Even after years of a traffic accident, headache can occur. Although this accident is not a large-scale traffic accident, it may cause micro traumas in the neck and pain in the neck when the head makes a whip motion in the front and back. In addition, with aging, calcifications in the bones and joints in the neck invite an headache from the neck. In addition, due to various rheumatologic diseases, problems may arise in the neck joints and manifest as headache. In addition, some of these patients may have a history of hard sports in the past.
What are the symptoms of neck-related headache?
The pain starts from the back of the head and from the back of the neck, and spreads upwards. This is rarely seen, although it sometimes spreads to the eye area. It is usually unilateral. However, sometimes the right side, sometimes the left side can change. The pain is not characterized by compression or throbbing, but is usually described as a contraction that begins and goes up the neck. There is usually no sensitivity to light and sound. Nausea or vomiting may occur. It can easily be mistaken for migraine when accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Unfortunately, as with many types of headache, neck headache patients have been mistakenly treated for migraine and treated with migraine.
How is the diagnosis made?
As with all headaches, it is necessary to listen to the patient's complaints in detail for the diagnosis of headache originating from the neck. The location, frequency, extent, severity and other characteristics of pain are questioned. Physical examination gives important clues. In addition, examination of the neck by radiological imaging methods may reveal the underlying discomfort. Cervical hernia with MRI of the neck and tomographic examination of the vertebrae of the neck may cause deterioration of the facet joints and calcification.
What are the treatment methods?
Patients with headache from the neck often attempt many painkillers after applying to the outpatient clinic. However, these pains do not end because they do not respond well to pain medications. It is known that physiotherapy provides benefit by relieving neck movements and removing muscle contractions in the neck. The most effective treatment method is the blocking of the nerves in the neck that transmit pain by radiofrequency thermocoagulation. The most prominent of these is the nerves of the joints, which are called facet joints between the neck vertebrae, which provide neck movements and are lined up on both sides of the back of the spine.
How many sessions is this procedure usually performed?
Blockage is a one-time procedure that is not performed during the sessions. The process is accompanied by a special computer-assisted imaging method. The patient is gently anesthetized to avoid any pain or discomfort during the procedure. However, general anesthesia (narcosis) is not required. After the procedure, the patient can resume normal daily life after several days of rest. The calcification of the facet joints is then opened with a regular exercise program to prevent recurrence of pain.
What other methods are available?
There are several other methods of cause after the cause has been put forward. For example, if headache occurs due to excessive contractions in the neck muscles, pain can be eliminated by making trigger point injections to these contractions. In the case of a hernia that spreads to the head due to neck hernia, drug injections are applied to the herniated disc region, if this hernia is not within surgical limits.
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