Headache and neck pain - the reasons for this common combination

Neck pain alone is a punishment for the patient, especially if it involves stiff neck and reduced head mobility. However, when this pain is accompanied by a headache, the patient's quality of life can deteriorate significantly. Headaches, visual disturbances, problems with concentration, dizziness and others can all occur - all symptoms that can severely affect the patient.
Some conditions can cause neck pain and headaches, others can start as a neck problem and then the headache occurs, in third conditions, the headaches start first and then the neck pain. Determining an accurate diagnosis is important in order to make it much easier to develop a treatment program that is as effective as possible for the patient.

Neck problems that cause headaches

Headaches caused by neck problems are usually chronic and vary in type depending on the cause. Common examples of such headaches are:
- Cervicogenic headache. It usually starts as a dull pain in the neck and spreads upwards, to the back of the head. This type of headache almost always affects only one side. The pain can also spread to the forehead, temples and around the eyes or ears. Cervicogenic headache is caused by an underlying disc, joint, muscle, or nerve disorder in the neck.
- Occipital neuralgia. Occipital (occipital) neuralgia is characterized by sharp, painful, electric shock-like pain in the back of the head, neck and ears. The pain is usually unilateral and begins in the upper neck and spreads to the head. Occipital neuralgia is caused by irritation or injury to the occipital nerve Headaches like the two mentioned above, which are caused by another underlying condition, are called secondary headaches. A headache that is not related to another condition but starts from a problem caused by the head is called a primary headache.

Headache that can cause neck pain

As we have learned so far, in most cases the headache is caused by various neck problems. However, the opposite situation is also possible - headaches are the root cause of neck problems.
This type of headache is for example:
- Tension headache or so-called tension headache. Tension headache is the most common headache. It is characterized by moderate to severe non-pulsating pain in the forehead, scalp and neck. Tension headaches occur when the muscles of the head and neck become over-tense, such as strong emotions such as stress or fear.
- Migraine. Migraine is a recurring headache that causes moderate to severe throbbing pain on one side of the head. Other symptoms may include nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Migraine-related neck pain is common and can start before or during a migraine attack.
- Headache caused by problems with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or the so-called jaw joint. Headaches caused by TMS problems are most often characterized by dull pain starting from the temples and around the TMS, in many cases this type of pain can resemble ear pain. Disorders of the jaw joint that can cause headaches include degeneration of the muscles, ligaments and bones of the jaw joint, and there may also be injury or dislocation. Neck pain may occur due to muscle fatigue or weakness in the TMJ Involuntary gnashing or clenching of teeth, known as bruxism, causes tight muscles in the jaw joint and causes pain to the patient's face and neck. People usually do not know about this condition, and very often it appears, as we have already mentioned - involuntarily, it can manifest itself in the moments even when you are sleeping and for this reason you also do not feel it.
- Unilateral headache (Hemicrania continua) is a primary headache of unknown origin. This type of headache is characterized by unilateral prolonged pain, on the head or face, with moderate intensity. The condition is likely to worsen and the pain to worsen and become much more intense. At such times, the pain often spreads to other areas, including the neck, shoulder, and ear area There are many other types of headaches that can also cause neck pain.

Diagnosis and treatment of neck pain and headache

To determine which treatment is best for you, doctors will mostly use the information you provide. You need to describe very accurately where you are in pain and what exactly the pain is (sharp, dull, throbbing, non-throbbing, prolonged, cramping, etc.) in order to make an accurate diagnosis of the type of headache. All this is necessary because, as mentioned above, we can consider two types of headaches - primary and secondary.
Treatment of primary headache includes medications for both immediate relief and long-term relief (by preventing future attacks).
Treatment of secondary headaches, on the other hand, focuses on the underlying condition to control symptoms.

When are headaches and neck problems serious?

Immediate medical attention is recommended for neck pain and headache associated with one or more of the following symptoms:
- Pain and tingling that spread down to one or both hands - A stiff neck accompanied by symptoms such as fever or headache - Headache caused by coughing, sneezing, running, straining, holding your breath, etc. similar.
- In seizures, slurred speech, loss of balance and blurred vision - Unwanted weight loss or nausea These symptoms may indicate serious underlying conditions such as aneurysms, meningitis, stroke or tumor. Neck pain as a result of trauma to the base of the skull (such as from accidents with motor vehicles or sports) should be considered an emergency and consult a specialist immediately!

IMPORTANT: This article is not a medical consultation! Key words and phrases: Headache, neck problems, primary headache, secondary headache, cervicogenic headache, occipital neuralgia, migraine, unilateral headache, headache caused by problems with the temporomandibular (jaw) joint.