If you have headaches that don’t just hurt your head, but also involve pain or lack of movement in your neck, you may be experiencing myogenic headaches. Myogenic headaches are one of two kinds of headaches that originate in the neck, the other being vertebrogenic. (When strained or irritated neck muscles cause the pain, the headaches are myogenic. When dysfunctional or irritated vertebrae cause the pain, the headaches are vertebrogenic.)
People with myogenic headaches often feel mild to severe discomfort or pain on one side of their head, although this pain can occur on both sides. The pain usually starts in the neck but can also start in tight muscles at the back of the head and even in muscles that work the jaw. From either of these places, the pain can spread to the temples and possibly a combination of the ears, eyes and top of the head.
The pain of a myogenic headache can be severe, although it is rarely accompanied by extreme migraine symptoms such as nausea or sensitivity to light and sound. The duration of pain varies from episode to episode and can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks.
If you have a myogenic headache, you may find that awkward or uncomfortable postures and certain neck movements, like turning or bending, can make the pain worse. The muscles around your neck may also be tight and abnormally tender, and your neck may resist certain movements and be unable to move through its normal range of motion.
Because neck muscle stiffness or tightness can lead to myogenic headaches, a variety of events that affect the neck can cause the condition. These include trauma to the head and neck from injuries such as whiplash; poor posture, which increases stress on muscles; and occupational or recreational stresses, such as extended phone use and other activities that keep the neck in awkward positions for prolonged periods.
People who experience vertebrogenic headaches generally feel a dull, constant ache on one side of their head as well as tenderness in the neck region. The pain usually begins in the neck and makes its way up behind the eyes, and possibly to the ears and the top or side of the head.
Prolonged periods of bad posture can often make people more susceptible to these types of headaches. For this reason, secretaries, truck drivers and car mechanics, who often hold positions that cause gradual postural changes in the body, are at risk. Poor posture can create neck abnormalities, which can affect the function of the cervical spine, leading to subluxations (stuck or misaligned joints) and spinal joint dysfunction.
Previous injuries to the head or neck, such as those people suffer in motor vehicle accidents, can also bring about vertebrogenic headaches. That’s why it’s important for people who experience trauma, like whiplash, to get appropriate care.
Your Chiropractor may be able to reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of your headaches once he or she determines the cause.
