If your headache worsens when you move your neck, could it be a cervicogenic headache?

If the headache starts on one side of the back of the head and spreads to the temple or around the eye, worsens when the neck is bent for a long time or when maintaining a specific posture, and improves somewhat with movement of the neck and shoulders or massage, it may indicate that the cervical joints and muscles are involved in the headache.

The symptoms may differ from those of migraine-like headaches accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound or nausea, so differentiation is necessary.

• Headache worsens when moving the neck or keeping it bent for a long time.
• The condition spreads from the back of the head to the temples and eyes.
• Moving the neck and shoulders slightly relieves the headache.
• Headache worsens after using a computer or smartphone.
• Sustained tension in the neck and shoulder muscles
• Stiffness in the neck accompanies the headache.

Recording the location of the headache, the posture that triggers it, and its relationship with neck symptoms will be helpful for the consultation.

If a sudden, severe headache unlike any you have experienced before occurs together with weakness in an arm or leg on one side, facial paralysis, changes in speech or vision, and reduced consciousness, emergency evaluation is needed.

High fever and severe neck stiffness, headaches that progressively worsen after head trauma, or headaches accompanied by new neurological symptoms must be evaluated promptly; in such cases, do not attribute the condition solely to a neck problem.

We confirm the onset time and frequency of the headache, its location and characteristics, and its relationship with neck movement. We examine the range of motion for neck flexion, extension, and rotation; muscle tension in the neck and shoulder; and whether headaches are reproduced in specific positions.

Check light and sound sensitivity, nausea, and medications taken together; if any warning signs are present, we recommend necessary medical evaluation.

Once risk factors have been ruled out, Chuna manual therapy may be considered as part of the treatment plan for patients with headache associated with restricted neck movement and recurrent muscle tension. We do not attribute all headaches to neck problems, nor do we guarantee a cure.

Adjusting screen height and the duration of head-down posture, and recording changes in neck movement range and headache frequency before and after treatment can be helpful.