Headache Pain Is Very Common.

Headaches are extremely unpleasant and impact over half of the population.

A significant portion of people suffering from headaches do so because of problems in the neck and are classified as "cervicogenic headaches." In most cases, the triggering effect of a cervicogenic headache is limited movement of the joints in your upper cervical spine. Normally, each of the joints in your neck moves freely and independently.

In some cases, there may be some restrictions in the upper cervical spine that initiate a painful cycle of stiffness, muscle tightness and joint inflammation. This may cause increased irritation and sensitivity in the nerves leading from your neck into the back of your head.

What Are The Causes Of Cervicogenic Headaches?

Cervicogenic headaches are typically more prevalent on one side of your head, but may also be present on both sides of the head.

Pain is often found at the base of the skull and may radiate around the
crown of your head in a “rams horn” shape or can be felt behind the eyes. The behaviour of your pain helps us know the most likely source. In more rare circumstances, the pain may go into your arm.

Even people with relatively good posture can still get headaches if they never move. This is typical of folks with sedentary desk jobs.  We need to move more than we do.  Simple walking breaks often make a big difference to people who have to sit for a living. If you’ve had a concussion or a whiplash injury lingering headache symptoms are common but can be treated. We always remind people that just because something is common does not mean it's OK or can’t be helped.”

When to get help for your headaches.

With headaches long lasting and/or severe enough to warrant professional help its best to get checked by your medical doctor first.  Once we are confident this is an orthopedic problem, which it usually is, we can get down to business and start making the changes needed for you to feel like your old self again. 

When To Seek Help For Your Headaches

Make sure to contact us immediately if at any point you find yourself experiencing a sudden onset of a severe headache, a new or unfamiliar headache, or if you notice significant neck stiffness, rash, numbness or tingling on your face, light-headedness, dizziness, loss of consciousness, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, difficulty walking, nausea, numbness radiating into your arms or legs, or fever. 

What Are Some At-Home Treatments For Headaches?

Dehydration can greatly aggravate cervicogenic headaches.

Make sure that you are drinking enough water. The prescribed amount of water is based on the size of your body.  A good rule of thumb is to take the number of pounds you weigh and drink ½ that number in ounces of water per day.  Weigh 200 Lbs, drink 100 oz of water. This has been the recommendation by the Titleist Performance Institute since its inception and we follow their guideline on this. . Since cervicogenic headaches are the result of a mechanical problem, medicines are often ineffective. Fortunately, we have several tools to help solve this problem.

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