Whether it’s after a bad night’s sleep, a late night out with friends, or a bad cold, a headache isn’t out of the ordinary. But other factors might be at play.
Headaches are a common condition—which can happen for a number of reasons—that will affect most people at some point in their lives. So, if you’re suffering from one, don’t worry: you’re not alone! If your headache isn’t due to one of the reasons listed above, or if the pain persists and occurs simultaneously with neck pain, you may be experiencing a cervicogenic headache.
This pain is directly linked to a neck problem, however mild. Conditions such as torticollis, whiplash, or simply joint stiffness can cause a muscular reaction that translates to pain in the head. This phenomenon is called “referred pain.” One of the most well-known examples of this is the pain that occurs in the left shoulder during a heart attack; there is no direct connection between the heart and the shoulder, yet the pain is clearly felt at a site some distance from where the real problem is happening. The same is true for the neck and the head, but luckily in a much less serious way! Most patients who seek help for neck pain often first feel a headache or develop one along the way.
Arnold’s neuralgia is a common painful ailment that occurs when the muscles at the base of the skull are in spasm (commonly known as a muscle knot). This irritates the nearby nerve, creating pain in the scalp at the back of the head. Arnold’s neuralgia can also be the result of irritation near the second cervical vertebra.
The most common type of pain originates from a muscle spasm, called a “trigger point.” When this “point” is touched, you may feel referred pain. This condition can be treated by several manual techniques, including massage therapy and acupuncture. The following diagram will give you an idea of the different muscles and their respective zones of reference.
Once the pain has subsided, it’s important to understand why the muscle tightened up in the first place, resulting in the trigger point: Is there muscle weakness, stiffness, or too much movement? This way, you can treat the issue more permanently.
Alongside the neck, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), commonly known as the jaw, can also cause pain in the head for the same reasons listed above. In this case, the pain is located closer to the ears.
A headache should not be confused with a migraine. These two conditions require different medication and approaches. If your head pain is severe, frequent, and diffuse, accompanied by vomiting, a visual aura, and/or sound and light sensitivity, you are more likely suffering from a migraine, which is unrelated to the neck and should be treated by your doctor.
