Diagnosing Cervicogenic Headache is Easy - By: Dean Watson

I mentioned recently that blocking the greater occipital nerve and eliminating head pain is key sign of cervicogenic or neck headache and that this has been demonstrated repeatedly in migraine sufferers.

This procedure (injecting nerves) however is not necessary to diagnose cervicogenic headache which is just as well because after all it is invasive, not readily available and relatively expensive.

The ability to temporarily reproduce familiar head pain when examining joints of the upper neck is recognised by traditional medicine as one of the most important indicators of cervicogenic headache (actually, I have to disagree with this, reproduction alone is not enough – there needs to be lessening of the head pain as the examination technique is sustained – more of that later).

It is irresponsible to recommend treatment of the neck for headache or migraine when it is not the cause and therefore it is crucial that reproduction and lessening of head pain occurs during the examination.

The examination approach I have developed on the basis of 21000 hours experience is unparalleled – in recent research familiar head pain was reproduced in 100% of tension headache sufferers and 94% of migraineurs …. now I could be cynical and say that 100% had tension headache and cervicogenic headache and 94% migraine sufferers had cervicogenic headache as well.

Cheers

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YourHeadacheSoultions.co.uk is one voice of the Watson Headache Institute.

The Watson Headache Institute was established to increase the awareness of cervicogenic (neck) disorders in headache and migraine by imparting my (and that of others) clinical experience and knowledge; to present and discuss past and present relevant research and to undertake and support rigorous clinical and scientific research in this specialty.

Appropriate and up-to-date knowledge is self-empowering; I believe that every headache sufferer has the right to know their headache diagnosis as precisely as possible (and what it means), to know the nature of their headache disorder, its outcome and possible types of treatment.

What has yet to gain acceptance is my (and that of others) belief, supported by my unparalleled clinical experience and a significant body of international research, that it is incorrect to consider headache and migraine types as totally different entities and that cervicogenic (neck) disorders can be instrumental in the headache and migraine process.

Although Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy are different disciplines, we are supporters of the idea that headache and migraine sufferers, no matter what their diagnoses, can be helped to live their lives more effectively through appropriate neck treatment. However, because treatment of the neck does not fit the medical model of headache and migraine, the model has demonstrated little interest in exploring this as an option. It is essential that all factors, which have the potential to sensitise the brainstem, be investigated equally. Currently this is not the situation – the neck is largely disregarded.

So, whilst YourHeadacheSolutions.com is also about Education, it is also a directory for headache and migraine sufferers to source practitioners who have a particular interest in and are skilled in examination of the neck as a source of your headache or migraine – to create a more comprehensive approach and provide an alternative, medication-free treatment.

ver the past 15 years I have developed a series of techniques, which, by way of temporary reproduction of headache and easing of the headache as a technique is sustained, confirm that a neck disorder is the cause of or a significant factor in the mechanism of the headache or migraine – this a key diagnostic criterion for cervicogenic or neck involvement in headache according to the International Headache Society – importantly for the disorder to be related to the headache or migraine process the headache has to ease as the technique is maintained. If both reproduction and lessening are not possible then the neck may not be the source of the headache or migraine. Furthermore my experience has shown that if the techniques are performed in a specific manner it is possible to determine which spinal segment is the cause of or contributing significantly to headache and migraine. Having determined which spinal segment (or segments — there may be more than one) is involved then this significantly increases the chance of the treatment being successful because treatment can be directed at specific, relevant spinal segments.

The application of these techniques in Europe, United Kingdom and Australia has become known as the ‘Watson Headache Approach’ and forms the basis of courses I present for physiotherapists, chiropractors and osteopaths in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Norway and Spain — refer http://www.headacheeducation.com

The Watson Headache Institute was established to increase the awareness of cervicogenic (neck) disorders in headache and migraine by:

imparting my (and that of others) clinical experience and knowledge

and,

undertaking and supporting rigorous clinical and scientific research in this specialty.

About the Author

Dean Watson of YourHeadache Solutions, Consultant Headache and Migraine Physiotherapist; Adjunct Lecturer, Masters Program, School of Physiotherapy, University of South Australia; PhD Candidate, Murdoch University, Western Australia. On his site you can search all topics about headache migraine, headache treatment, migraine treatment, headache causes, migraine causes headache symptoms and more.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Dean-Watson/53824

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