Headache Treatment in Ludhiana, Punjab
What is Cervicogenic Headache?
Headache Treatment In Ludhiana, Punjab, Cervicogenic headache is referred to as the pain which begins from the neck area. The pain is experienced in the part of the face or the head. The problem is in the neck. Some of the possible regions from where the pain occurs are from the:
- Discs
- Joints
- Surrounding tissues like the neck muscles, blood vessels, and covering of the spinal cord.
No doubt, headaches affect people of all age groups. In some cases, the issue is mild and sometimes it is severe. People often overlook cervicogenic headaches and most of the time it is not diagnosed as people are not aware of it.
How are cervicogenic headaches and migraine headaches different?
| Cervicogenic headaches | Migraine headaches |
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What are the signs and symptoms of cervicogenic headache?
Some of the common symptoms of cervicogenic headache are mentioned below:
- Frequency of headaches increases due to neck movements like neck rotation or nodding.
- Stiffness and neck movement is limited.
- Increase pain with excess pressure on certain parts of the neck.
- Pain is triggered from one side, however, it can include both sides.
- People describe it as increased pressure at the side, front, around the eye, or front of the head.
What are the causes of cervicogenic headaches?
As we have mentioned above, the problem occurs due to structural issues in the neck or problem with the spine vertebrae which is known as cervical vertebrae. Sometimes, due to their job life, the strain is put on the neck.
- Degenerative changes in the neck joints e.g. osteoarthritis.
- Neck muscle spasms.
- Bad neck posture for long periods.
- Discs of the cervical spine.
- Whiplash injury/ neck trauma.
How is cervicogenic headache diagnosed?
When you consult our health expert, he will take a detailed history of your condition to understand where it started. You need to inform the doctor about the:
- Stress levels
- Your Diet
- Sleep habits
- Medication usage
- Work-Life
The doctor will examine your condition and for that different diagnostic methods are used which are:
- CT Scan
- X-ray
- MRI
What are the options to manage cervicogenic headaches?
- You need to make changes to your lifestyle pattern and workplace ergonomics.
- Surgery is suggested in those cases when joint is severely damaged or nerve is compressed, which is rare
- Medications are given for mild pain.
- Joint, nerve, or muscle intervention to diagnose the condition and reduce the extent of the pain.
- Radiofrequency treatment is given to reduce headaches which have been there for a long time.
- Physical therapy will relax the muscles and stretch them around the neck.
- Acupuncture, TENS, yoga, meditation, and acupressure are suggested.
What are the treatment options for cervicogenic headaches?
- Medications: Your healthcare provider will tell you about the medications which will manage the uncontrollable symptoms. It is better to consult the doctor and then you should take the painkillers.
- Physical therapy: Physical therapy is an effective treatment option as the doctor will create a specialized treatment for you. The therapist will check the source of pain and give you the treatment to relieve the symptoms.
- TENS: TENS units make use of the electrodes by sending the electrical signals to the nerves present in the area and stimulate the nerves. This treatment might help the patient in some cases.
- Radiofrequency ablation: If the extent of the headache is chronic then the doctor will suggest radiofrequency ablation. From where the pain is triggering, the doctor will apply the needle and it will make that specific nerve dead and it won’t be able to send the pain signals to the brain.
- Nerve blocks: Our health expert will inject pain-numbing medication into the neck and head nerves. Not only does it check from where the pain occurred but provides relief to the patient.
What are the emergencies?
Here are some of the symptoms which need immediate medical attention and these include the following:
- Severe pain
- Fever
- Rash
- Nausea or vomiting
- Confusion
- Trouble speaking
- Vision loss
- Difficulty walking
- Muscle weakness
