Headaches

Migraine Headaches produce a throbbing pain and usuallyinvolves one side of the head initially. The headache tends to reach its peak intensity after about 30 minutes. Migraines are commonly accompanied by nausea and vomiting. During severe attacks, sensitivity to sound and light may occur forcing the sufferer to seek a dark and quiet room. The headache can last from a few hours to 1 to 2 days.

Muscle Tension Headaches are generally mild to moderate in intensity and can last from hours to days. There is a constant tight or pressure sensation, generally feeling like a tight band is wrapping around the head. Pain and tightness in the neck and shoulder often occurs. Pain generally starts in the base of the skull or temporal regions of the head and spreads outwards to affect other areas of the head and neck.

Cervicogenic Headaches generally produce dull pain that is strong and constant. The most common location of pain is around the eye and upper neck but may also include other areas of the face, head and neck. Pain typically lasts one to three days and will continue to reoccur until properly treated. Nausea, vomiting, dizziness, ringing of the ears, and sensitivity to light and sound may also be present. This type of headache is frequently mistaken for a migraine headache.

What's causing your headache?

A small percentage of headaches are dangerous – which is why persistent headaches should be properly evaluated. The majority of headaches however, are caused by restricted motion in the joints and muscles of the upper back and neck.

Restricted Joint Motion

Cervical facet joints are small joints about the size of the thumb nail located in pairs on the back of the neck. They provide stability and guide motion in the neck. Research has demonstrated the importance of these joints for neck pain and headaches.

Misalignments between vertebrae can restrict normal facet joint motion causing inflammation of the facet joints and surrounding nerves. The resulting inflammation causes muscle tension, pain, and reduced blood flow to the head. The end result is a throbbing headache.

The illiustration to the left shows areas where the facet joints of the neck can cause pain. Where you feel the pain is not always where the problem is located. For example, the facet joints linking the 6th and 7th cervical vertebrae are located at the level of the white "X" but can cause pain that will be felt in the yellow area.

In a study of 100 patients with neck pain following a whiplash injury, 88% also reported experiencing headaches. Among those patients whose main complaint was head pain, the C2-C3 facet joint was pain was found to be the cause of the pain(1).

A recent study of 34 patients with headache pain eminating from the back of the head found that in 60% of the paitients, the C1-C2 facet joints were causing the pain(2).

The importance of considering restricted motion in spinal joints as a cause of headaches (including migraines) is only now being recognized by the medical community. As a result, this common cause of headaches is frequently over looked and wrongly diagnosed by other types of medical practitioners.

Trigger Points

A trigger point is a small area of muscle that remains tightly contracted all the time, even when the rest of the muscle itself is relaxed. This small area of tight muscle feels like a knot. When you say that you have “muscle knots,” you are actually talking about trigger points.

How do trigger points cause pain? The truth is, we're still not entirely sure. One therory is that trigger points reduce blood flow and release painful substances such as serotonin, histamine, kinins, and prostaglandins in the injured area(3).

The drawings to the left illustrate the pain referral patterns for several muscles of the neck. The back x's show the location of the trigger points and the red areas show where the pain is felt. When dealing with trigger point pain, where you hurt is usually not where the problem is located.

Trigger points are common in the muscles of the neck(4,5). Several studies have found that up to 54.6% of neck pain and headaches are caused by trigger points(6,7). 

Trigger points in the muscles of the head and neck typically cause tension headaches.3 These headaches can be severe and debilitating. As early as 1981, trigger points in head and neck muscles were recognized as being able to precipitate and intensify migraine headaches(8,9,10).

Treatment

Activator treatments safely and gently remove facet joint restrictions. You not only get rid of your headaches but you're able to do it without the serious side effects and risks associated with prescription drugs.

Trigger-point therapy is a manual technique that involves applying pressure to a trigger point to release the contraction of the muscle segment and to restore normal muscle fiber length. The duration of treatment varies from person to person, but an initial course is usually twice a week for three to four weeks. To be effective, trigger-point therapy must be performed by someone skilled in myofascial release techniques.32

Why not stop what you're doing and call Dr. Williams at 970-304-0260. We offer a FREE consultation and screening tests to help determine if we can help you. Don't lose another day to headache pain.