09/02/2019
What's Causing My Neck Pain and Headaches?
Article By: Yash Ramos, MSPT
Pain that occurs in any part of the head is called a headache and is one of the most common physical complaints. There are several different types of headaches that can be caused by a number of different factors. According to the International Headache Society, there are 14 primary and secondary headache disorders. Common causes for headaches include neck trauma, neck dysfunction, head injury, migraine disorder, jaw disorders and tension. Physical therapy has been proven to be highly effective for reducing and eliminating headaches caused by stress, muscle tension and joint dysfunction in the neck and upper back. Major contributing factors for these types of headaches include:
Acute injury from whiplash or trauma
Increased emotional pressure from work or issues at home
Recent episode of over-exertion or heavy lifting
Difficulty sleeping (Which can worsen due to headaches)
Poor body mechanics or poor ergonomics at home and/or work
Over-exercise
Prolonged, daily sitting
Spinal imbalances, both acute and chronic
Jaw disorders/pain (TMJD)
Physical therapists can help determine the cause of your headaches and specialize in the management and correction of tension-type and cervicogenic headaches. Physical therapists are educated and trained in using a holistic approach when evaluating patients, which leads to comprehensive assessment and patient-specific treatment approaches. By determining whether you are suffering from either cervicogenic or tension-type headache, your therapist can more accurately establish the best approach to correct your issue. Effective results have been proven through a combination of manual therapy techniques, exercise, and patient education to promote self-management and to help avoid recurrence of symptoms.
Physical signs and symptoms used to determine whether you are experiencing a cervicogenic or tension-type headache include:
Neck or upper back pain
Tenderness when touching muscles around the neck or upper back
Symptoms onset after a recent motor vehicle accident
Symptoms onset after a recent neck or shoulder surgery
History of grinding your teeth or jaw pain
“Knots” or stiffness in or around the muscles of the neck, upper back or shoulders
Loss of mobility/range of motion at the neck, back or shoulders
Headache onsets after sitting for a long time or while working on the computer
TMJD (Temperomandibular Joint Disorders)
The temporomandibular joints can be found on either side of the head/face in front of the ears. Movement at these joints allows us to talk, chew and yawn. When pain, dysfunction and/or inflammation of one or both of these joints occurs, the condition is called temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD). This disorder can have a number of causes and affects people of all ages. Issues at or around these joints can impact mobility of the joint and may include stiffness and soreness of the surrounding muscle of the neck, face or head. TMJD can also directly lead to headaches.
Physical therapy can be a very effective form of treatment for TMJD and associated headaches. The main goal of PT when treating this type of disorder is to improve jaw function by using manual therapy/joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, patient-specific exercise and patient education to address contributing factors. An oral splint may also be needed to rest the neck and jaw muscles for patients who grind their teeth at night.
CERVICOGENIC HEADACHES
Cervicogenic headaches are caused by disorders of the cervical spine (neck) and can involve the bones, joints, discs and/or soft tissue. Cervicogenic headaches are considered secondary headaches because symptoms are referred from outside of the head. People experiencing a cervicogenic headache often have reduced range of motion at the neck and complain of increased headache intensity with certain movements of their neck or with pressure applied to certain spots on their neck. The headaches are often side-locked (on one side only), and the pain may radiate from the neck or back of the head to the front of the head or behind the eyes.
Physical therapy treatment for cervicogenic headaches focuses on correcting the underlying neck issue by using a combination of gentle joint mobilization and soft-tissue mobilization. Your physical therapist will also provide you with a home-exercise program to help you self-manage any residual soreness and prevent recurrence of symptoms. By correcting the neck issue and allowing the surrounding tissue to heal, the pain and headache will resolve quickly. In many cases, the neck issue and headache are resolved or greatly reduced after the first session.
TENSION HEADACHES
Tension-type headaches have been classified as a primary headache disorder, and are often described by patients as a dull, aching pain that can often include tightness or tension across the forehead, sides or back of the head. When experiencing this type of headache, patients also typically complain of palpable tenderness at the scalp, shoulder and/or neck muscles. Tension-type headaches are most commonly triggered by stress and can sometimes be confused for a migraine.
Physical therapy is often the best form of treatment for tension-type headaches. Effective PT treatment approaches should include a focus on muscle relaxation using manual therapy techniques, soft-tissue mobilization and patient-specific exercise for self-management at home and at the workplace. Patient education regarding stress management and adaptive techniques is equally as important for successful outcomes. When stress and anxiety begin to trigger pain and impact your daily function, retake control and see your local physical therapist.
While physical therapy is not always the best option for all types of headaches, if you are experiencing TMJD, cervicogenic headaches or tension-type headaches, PT might just be the right answer for you.
