Neck pain and headaches are like the peanut butter and jelly of the medical world – you rarely find one symptom without the other. In fact, even when it comes to migraines, about 75% of patients experience neck pain either before or during the headache phase. When it comes to tension headaches, neck pain may be even more common.
What is the relationship between neck pain and headaches? Will understanding the answer help you to find natural relief?
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When stress is the underlying cause of your headaches, the neck is almost certain to come into play. The neck and shoulders are where the body stores tension. So people who get tension headaches almost expect a stiff neck to be a precursor. The neck pain makes sense when you are stressed, but how come no one asks why the headache occurs?
One possible reason is that the atlas (C1 vertebra) is located right at the base of the skull. This top bone in the neck balances the head, protects the brainstem and helps to facilitate blood flow to the brain. Since stress can have a direct effect on the neck and the atlas in particular, it makes sense that neck pain is a precursor to this type of headache.
To understand why migraines and neck pain are also linked, we once again have to look at the atlas. Reduced blood flow to certain parts of the brain and brainstem malfunctions have both been connected to this neurological condition.
Another factor is intracranial pressure. A misaligned atlas can also be at work in this case. Upright MRIs have revealed that when the atlas is out of place, cerebrospinal fluid may fail to drain properly. This, in turn, leads to pooling and increased pressure in the cranium.
Neck pain and migraines are so closely tied together that in one study in Italy, it was revealed that many patients confuse the two. While all of the patients in the study were diagnosing themselves with neck pain, it turned out that two-thirds of them were actually experiencing migraines. Perhaps this is because doctors and medical websites often leave out neck pain as a symptom when describing migraines.
In review, there are three ways in which neck pain and various headache types are linked:
The question now becomes is there any way to get long-term relief from headaches and neck pain by correcting this underlying issue in the upper cervical spine. The answer is yes. We would like to introduce you to upper cervical chiropractic care, a subspecialty that has been helping many headache and migraine patients.
Upper cervical care gets to the source of many chronic neck pain and headache issues. Therefore, it makes sense to give this natural remedy a try. But what if you have never heard of upper cervical chiropractic before? What makes it unique? Here are a few things you will want to know:
If you are suffering from neck pain and headaches, upper cervical care could be the answer. Contact a practitioner in your local area today and learn what this specialty can do for you.
TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.