MYOGENIC HEADACHES

If you have headaches that don’t just hurt your head, but also involve pain or lack of movement in our neck, you may be experiencing myogenic headaches. Myogenic headaches are one of the two kinds of headaches that originate in the neck, the other being vertebrogenic. (When strained or irritated neck muscles cause the pain, the headaches are myogenic. When dysfunctional or irritated spinal joints cause the pain, the headaches are vertebrogenic.)

People with myogenic headaches often feel mild to severe discomfort or pain on one side of their head, although this pain can occur on both sides. The pain usually starts in the neck but can also start in tight muscles at the back of the head and even in muscles that work the jaw. From either of these places, the pain can spread to the temples and possibly a combination of the ears, eyes and top of the head.

The pain of a myogenic headache can be severe, although it is rarely accompanied by extreme migraine symptoms such as nausea or sensitivity to light and sound. The duration of pain varies from episode to episode and can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks.If you have a myogenic headache, you may find that awkward or uncomfortable postures and certain neck movements, like turning or bending your neck can make the pain worse. The muscles around your neck may also be tight and abnormally tender, and your neck may resist certain movements and be unable to move through its normal range of motion.

Because neck muscle stiffness or tightness can lead to myogenic headaches, a variety of events that affect the neck can cause the condition. These include trauma to the head and neck from injuries such as whiplash; poor posture, which increases stress on muscles; and occupational or recreational stresses, such as extended phone use and other activities that keep the neck in awkward positions for prolonged periods.

VERTEBROGENIC HEADACHES

If you have headaches that don’t just hurt your head, but also involve pain or lack of movement in your neck, you may be experiencing vertebrogenic headaches. Vertebrogenic headaches are one of the two kinds of headaches that originate in the neck, the other being myogenic. (When dysfunctional or irritated spinal joints cause the pain, the headaches are vertebrogenic. When strained or irritated neck muscles cause the pain, the headaches are myogenic.)

People who experience vertebrogenic headaches generally feel a dull, constant ache on one side of their head as well as tenderness in the neck region. The pain usually begins in the neck and makes its way up behind the eyes, and possibly to the ears and the top or side of the head. The duration of these headaches varies from episode to episode, and can last anywhere from a couple of hours to a couple of weeks.

Prolonged periods of bad posture can often make people more susceptible to these types of headaches. For this reason, office workers, truck drivers and car mechanics, who often hold positions that cause gradual postural changes in the body, are at risk. Poor posture can create neck abnormalities, which can affect the function of the cervical spine, leading to subluxations (stuck or misaligned spinal joints).

Previous injuries to the head or neck, such as those people suffer in motor vehicle accidents, can also bring about vertebrogenic headaches. That’s why it’s important for people who experience trauma, like whiplash, to get appropriate care.

MIGRANE HEADACHES WITH AURA (Classic Migraine)

Most people have experienced some type of headache, but migraine headaches with aura, also known as classic migraines, are a very specific type involving more than just pain. The word migraine, derived from the Greek hemikrania, which means “half of the head,” refers to a throbbing pain in one side of the head that’s often accompanied by a stiff and tender neck, extreme sensitivity to light and noise, difficulty concentrating and nausea.

Despite the name’s origin, pain may also travel throughout the entire head at times. The symptoms can last as little as four hours or as long as three days, and are often followed by a postdrome (aftereffect) phase during which patients feel exhausted and mentally inept.

Classic migraines also involve what health-care practitioners call an aura, which is a pre-migraine period lasting between 15 and 60 minutes that involves zigzag lines or shimmering stars in the field of vision. Some patients with the condition also report having blind spots and tunnel vision (an inability to see to either side), and in rare instances report speech disturbances, confusion and odd sensations such as tingling, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs. Within an hour, the symptoms associated with the aura usually subside and the migraine headache pain develops.

Approximately, 20% of people who have migraines will experience auras. All types of migraine headaches affect women more than men, by a ratio of about three to one. Genetics also play a role, and the American Council for Headache Education reports that about 90% of people who get migraines have a family history of the condition . Migrainesmay be experienced for many reasons and are readily correlated with the following:

• Cervical Subluxation
• Emotional Stress
• Environmental Pollutants
• Certain Medications
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Food Allergies (wheat, gluten, dairy, caffeine, wine, chocolate,
  and others).

Due to the complexity of migraines, it is usually necessary to utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to appropriately identify and treat the causative factor(s).

MIGRANE HEADACHES WITHOUT AURA (Common Migraine)

Migraines generally fall into two categories: classic and common. Most people who get migraines experience the common type, but about 20% experience classic migraines that involve common migraine symptoms accompanied by an aura, which is a visual disturbance that manifests as blurry vision, blind spots or zigzag lines or tunnel vision (a loss of peripheral vision). If you get migraines but don’t recognize these symptoms, you probably get common migraines.

The first experience of a common migraine typically occurs early in life. Twenty-five percent of people who get migraines have their first one before age 10, more than 55% have it before age 20 and more than 90% have it before age 40.

All types of migraine headache affect women more than men, by a ratio of about three to one. Genetics also play a role, and the American Council for Headache Education reports that about 90% of people who get migraines have a family history of the condition. Migrainesmay be experienced for many reasons and are readily correlated with the following:

• Cervical Subluxation
• Emotional Stress
• Environmental Pollutants
• Certain Medications
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Hormonal Imbalances
• Food Allergies (wheat, gluten, dairy, caffeine, wine, chocolate,
  and others).

Due to the complexity of migraines, it is usually necessary to utilize a mult-disciplinary approach to appropriately identify and treat the causative factor(s).

TEMPORO-MANDIBULAR JOINT (TMJ) DISORDER

TMJ disorder or disease refers to the pain, clicking, popping and grinding that may occur immediately in front of your ear, when you swallow, yawn, talk or chew gum. The pain associated with this condition may be sharp and searing or dull and achy. The pain may be well localized or refer into the teeth, jaw, cheek or up into the side of the head. TMJ may also be associated with ringing in the ears. Successful treatment of this disorder may require a multi-disciplinary approach depending on the severity of the condition. Treatment options include manipulation, muscle work, night guards, splinting, relaxation techniques and/or surgery.