Cervicogenic headache is a headache pattern originating from structural dysfunction in the cervical spine, typically at the upper cervical segments near the base of the skull. The suboccipital muscles and the joints of the upper cervical spine are anatomically connected to the trigeminal nerve system in ways that allow pain from those structures to be perceived in the head. Cervicogenic headaches typically present as a unilateral pain that begins in the neck or base of the skull and spreads into the head, often worsened by neck movement or sustained head positions. They are frequently mistaken for tension headaches or migraines, and patients may spend years managing them as a headache problem without anyone evaluating the cervical spine.
Dr. Bronstein at Beacon Clinic of Chiropractic assesses the cervical spine as part of the evaluation for San Luis Obispo patients presenting with headaches alongside neck pain. Where the upper cervical segments are found to be restricted or misaligned in a pattern consistent with cervicogenic headache, chiropractic adjustment of those segments is part of the care approach. The evaluation also looks at the posture of the entire cervical and upper thoracic region, since forward head posture and thoracic kyphosis are frequently part of the structural picture that contributes to upper cervical tension. San Luis Obispo patients who have been primarily managing their headaches through medication and have not had a structural evaluation of their cervical spine are welcome to discuss this aspect of their presentation with Dr. Bronstein at Beacon Clinic in Grover Beach, California.
