A closer look at how neck injuries cause various types of headaches
There are numerous forms of headaches, and at some point in your life you may have experienced one form or another. These conditions vary from migraines to tension, Vertebrogenic and Tension Headaches. In case you were wondering if a neck injury can cause a headache, you are right. A neck injury is a leading cause of various form of headache. A problem on your neck joint region can result in severe headache. Often, neck related headaches are mistaken for migraine, yet they are different.
Neck injuries versus headaches
Your neck region has three spinal roots situated at the C1, C2, and C3. These roots share a nucleus with the trigeminal nerve, a fiber that draws messages from your brain to the face. The three spinal roots transmit nerve impulses towards the head region through the trigeminal-cervical tract.
This is the region where pain signals registers. Pain begins from the midbrain particularly at the thalamus then spreads to the cortical part of the brain. The cortical and thalamus serve as the reference points when it comes defining various kinds of headache. These regions also determine the severity of the type of headache you may have. Below are examples of how different forms of headaches occur;
Tension headache
Tension headache emanate from the suboccipital muscles situated at the base of the head. Suboccipital muscles form four pair muscles and function to facilitate movement of the skull at the vertebrae in the neck. When your suboccipital muscles become tender, they result in a headache.
These muscles can become tense when you wear new spectacles, strain to view distant objects, or practice poor postures in the office. They can also be affected when you suffer from whiplash injury or often grind your teeth. Tender suboccipital muscles may compress your nerves on the base of your skull which can, in turn, result in pain on the head.
Vertebrogenic and Tension Headache
Vertebrogenic headache, on the other hand, is the most common type of headache. This types of headaches can occur due to pain in the occipital region and neck. They emanate from the frontal-orbital region of your head. Vertebrogenic headache may also occur when you are experiencing degeneration of the cervical spine. You can often experience constant ache on either side of the head. These kinds of headache may also result from trauma, physical stress or having poor sitting postures.
Migraines
Migraines do not occur due to neck pain. However, if you experience a migraine, one of the symptoms you should look out for is neck pain and at times stiff neck.
Treatment measures
A problem in your neck could initiate a chain of activities which could result in severe headache. Fortunately, there is a treatment for every form of a headache you may have. Therefore, when you begin to get incredible pain in your head or neck region, it would be sensible for you visit your doctor.
Headaches vary based on the side of the head the pain is coming from. When you visit your physician, they are be able to diagnose you accurately and put you on the right treatment. Making improvements on your postures and sitting positions can also play a significant role in minimizing your chances of getting any of these headaches.
If you are having headaches you need to see a professional right away! Contact Denver Integrated Spine Center today! Call 303-758-9000 or contact us online!