We all suffer from headaches from time to time and there are many different factors than can cause them. The most common ones are cervio-genic, which are also known as a referred pain in the neck and can be treated very effectively with osteopathy.

There are different structures within the neck that can cause pain in the head. Misaligned and restricted vertebrae can refer pain if the neck suffers a sudden movement, such as turning to look over your shoulder while you reverse park the car. This action causes your neck to move beyond its usual capacity and places a strain on the vertebral joints, which can lead to a headache.

The muscles that surround the neck can also cause headaches when tight knots of contracted muscle form. These are known as trigger spots and they are usually found at the sides and back of the neck where the neck meets the head and shoulders.

Headaches caused by neck pain can be a trigger for a migraine and we see many patients at the clinic who tell us their migraine started out with tension in the neck.

Treating Neck Pain Headaches

Osteopathic techniques can be used to ease neck pain headaches and promote good posture, which can help to prevent them reoccurring in the future.

The vertebrae can also be readjusted to correct the alignment or a misaligned joint. This will restore correct movement in the neck and stop it locking up in future.

Compression can also be applied to the muscles to ease the trigger spots and reduce tension to stop those headaches caused by tight knots in the neck.

Follow-up exercises and osteopathic manipulation has been proven to help prevent these neck pain headaches.

While many of us may think of a headache as being normal and just treat it with painkillers, a thorough orthopaedic investigation can identify what is behind the problem so that the root cause can be treated.

For more information about headaches and neck pain, read our Broadgate Journal Article and for more details about Ben Quigley, the author of this article, go to https://www.broadgatespinecentre.co.uk/london-osteopathy/.