A cervicogenic headache originates from the neck. It is a specific type of headache, which is initially caused by some sort of neck injury or disorder. You could experience this following a car crash and getting whiplash. Or it may occur following a head injury and getting a concussion. Another common cause is as a result of poor posture, namely a forward head position.
Your head is connected to your neck by many large and small muscles, which attach into the base of the skull. These muscles help you to support and move the head. If you find yourself in poor forward head posture, it pulls on the muscles in the neck and creates a lot of tension.
A cervicogenic headache is an example of referred pain. This means that the pain is felt in a part of the body other than its true source. In this case, we feel a headache, even though the source is in the neck. Over time, a build up of tension in the neck can lead to pain commonly associated with a cervicogenic headache.
Cervicogenic headaches often occur on just one side of the head. They commonly cause pain and discomfort around the eyes, forehead, and temples.
Physical Therapy can help reduce and even abolish headaches by providing you with exercises to stretch and strengthen muscle group to obtain correct posture. You will be taught how to adjust your environment, such as the set up of your desk, to help promote good posture and reduce the change of further injury.