Headaches are an incredibly common issue that impacts a huge proportion of the general population. It is estimated that 15-20 percent of headaches are cervicogenic headache (CGH) and epidemiological research suggests much higher prevalence in those with neck pain.
Possible sources of pain are spinal structures from C1 to C3 spinal nerves including:
- Upper cervical synovial joints,
- Upper cervical muscles,
- C2-3 disc,
- Vertebral and internal carotid arteries,
- Dura mater of the upper spinal cord
- Posterior cranial fossa.
Physiotherapists are well positioned to assist in the identification and the treatment of CGH.
Multiple systematic reviews have concluded that physiotherapy interventions including dry needling, mobilization, exercise and massage intervention are effective in managing CGH pain intensity.
At Active Lifestyle Physiotherapy our physiotherapists are trained to assist with accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of CGH.
Our physiotherapists are all happy to help reduce the impact symptoms of CGH can have on patients quality of life and offer all of the above interventions which have been proven to be effective management strategies.
Our physiotherapists are also passionate about educating our patients in order to understand their diagnosis. They are then able to implement self management strategies that mitigate the impact CGH has on their daily life.