Neck Pain and Its Relationship with Headaches: The Well-Known Head and Neck Pain

It can be said that a cervical migraine is a headache due to some alteration at the neck level.

To understand why cervical anatomical structures can cause neck and head pain at the same time, we have to explain a little about how pain works.

When there is a painful stimulus, pain receptors are activated, and a neuron collects that stimulus and sends it to a sensitive center, which in turn sends it to the areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for analyzing the stimulus and executing the appropriate response, for example, remove your hand if we get burned.

The fibers that collect pain from the cervical nerves C1, C2, and C3 send information to the sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is the nerve that collects sensitivity from almost the entire head and face. When the cerebral cortex receives a stimulus from the trigeminal nucleus in cases in which a person suffers from cervical migraine, it does not correctly identify that the stimulus is cervical and attributes it to the area innervated by the trigeminal nerve and the command “headache” is executed. in an automatic way.

• It is dull, that is, it feels like pressure throughout the head and not like palpitations or localized discomfort in a single point.
  
  
• Pain may be felt more in the scalp, temples, the back of the neck, and even the shoulders.
  
  
• Tension headaches can appear singly or constantly, every day. Its duration is variable and can last half an hour or even last up to a week.
  
  
• The pain can be triggered by noises or lights.
  
  
• It can affect sleep, making it difficult to sleep. On the other hand, it is not a headache that is accompanied by nausea or vomiting.

Have you ever felt a headache due to poor neck posture? Poor posture can often cause headaches known as tension headaches. These are the result of tension located in the muscles of the head, neck, or shoulders.

Since these pains are related to bad posture, it is possible to prevent them, in a simple way, just by changing some of our daily habits. Next, we talk about headaches due to poor cervical posture, what it is caused by, how to identify them, and, above all, how to relieve and prevent them.

Tension-type headaches can usually be relieved at home by implementing some changes in lifestyle. We highlight the following:

• Apply heat to the neck or shoulder area Tension usually accumulates in these areas, causing tension headaches. Put a hot compress on the back of your neck or on your shoulders for relief.
  
  
• Take a hot bath
  Just like a hot compress, the heat of the water helps relieve tension in the shoulder and neck area. You can use the stream of water from the shower directly on the area with discomfort.
  
  
• Do a physical activity that helps you relax
  Regular exercise, which may include relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, helps reduce stress and tension.
  
  
• Correct bad posture
  If we work for many hours with the computer placed too low, its height must be corrected. On the other hand, if our tension headache is caused by sleeping on an inadequate pillow, we will have to get one that better suits our needs. As we see, the key is to locate the source that triggers our pain to correct it. If the underlying source or problem is not corrected, this pain will become a recurring problem and will get worse.

As we advance, tension headache occurs when tension occurs in the muscles of the head, neck, or shoulders and, for this reason, there are several situations that can end up triggering it. Thus, headaches due to poor sleeping posture are common, but the following are also causes of tension headaches:

• Physical and emotional stress
  
  
• Depression and anxiety Alcohol or caffeine consumption
  
  
• Smoking
  
  
• Colds, flu, and sinusitis
  
  
• Oral problems, such as teeth grinding or bruxism
  
  
• Eye strain
  
  
• Excessive physical efforts
  
  
• A blow to the head
  
  

In general, any activity that requires the head to remain in the same position for a long time without moving can trigger a tension headache. Examples are work typing on a computer, in a laboratory in charge of the microscope, or in manual craft tasks that require concentration and precision. In addition, headaches are also possible due to poor neck posture when sleeping or sleeping in a room that is too cold.