The treatment plan is carried out as a personal protocol matched to each patient's symptoms, to the intensity of the pain and to their functional tolerance.
Cervicogenic headache is a type of headache that is not primary: it arises from the structures of the neck (muscle, facet, disc or joints) and usually starts in the neck and spreads to the head. Such pain may be accompanied by restricted movement of the neck and increasing tension.
The main principle of treatment is to apply physiotherapy and mechanotherapy methods according to the patient's condition. For example, relaxation may be used to reduce tension in the neck muscles, and neck manipulation, postural exercises and mechanical support (a neck collar) to remove the effect of that tension.
If conservative methods are insufficient, local steroid or anaesthetic blocks — a medial branch block, for example — may be given by the doctor. By acting locally on the source of the pain, this can bring relief.
Drug treatment includes painkillers (NSAIDs) and, if needed, a muscle relaxant or a low-dose antidepressant.
The treatment plan is carried out as a personal protocol matched to each patient's symptoms, to the intensity of the pain and to their functional tolerance. The aim is to clarify the source of the pain, to reduce the symptom and to bring neck function back to normal.