Do Headaches Start in the Neck?
By Editorial Staff
While the cause of primary headaches, the most common of which are tension-type headaches and migraines, remains unclear, your chiropractor can help relieve the pain – and prevent it from returning. And that brings us to the neck, specifically the neck muscles, and how inflammation in these muscles can cause headache pain.
Neck pain is commonly associated with primary headaches. Why? Researchers have discovered that inflammatory changes in neck muscles not only increase neck pain, but also the number of days experiencing headaches.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of 50 adults (20-31 years of age) with headaches and 22 healthy controls revealed that T2 values of the trapezius muscles (higher values indicate more inflammation) were significantly greater in people suffering from tension-type plus migraine headaches, corresponding with both an increased number of headache days and the presence of neck pain.
If you're suffering from neck pain, your chiropractor can help. If you're suffering from headaches, particularly tension headaches or migraines, this research provides more evidence that your chiropractor also can help. That's a win-win for you – without having to rely on over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription pain medication. Talk to your chiropractor to learn more.
