Do You Suffer from Headaches? Can Physical Therapy Help?

Do you suffer from headaches?  The International Headache Society states there are over 14 different kinds of headaches and there are many causes of headaches.  One type of headache that can be treated by physical therapy is a cervicogenic headache.  A cervicogenic headache is one of the most common types of headaches and account for 15-20% of chronic headaches.    A cervicogenic headache is considered to be a headache with referred pain from a source in the neck that is perceived in one or more areas of the head and face.  This is an example below:

In this is an example of the "X" are active trigger points in a neck muscle (sternocleidomastoid muscle or SCM for short) in the neck and the red is the referred pain patterns that may be associated with this case to the head and facial areas.  It is also very common to see dysfunction is the upper cervical spine that is associated with a cervicogenic headache.  Usually the headache is on one side of the head (unilateral), is increased with neck motions, and can be reproduced with palpation of certain neck muscles.  The referred pain may follow this pathway, which some call it "like a ram horn":

The colors in the above photo show the most common referral areas for a cervicogenic headache.  Research shows that manual therapy in combination with exercise shows the best outcome for a cervicogenic headache and reducing your symptoms.  So this is something that CAN be treated with physical therapy.  Do you have a headache like this?  Are your symptoms similar?  Consult with your physical therapist and see if your have a cervicogenic headache and what interventions are best for you.  Please visit www.pursuittherapy.com or call us at 407-494-8835 for more information.