Cervical headache

Headache – the nonspecific symptom of various diseases which is characterized by such physical properties as intensity of pain, duration of an attack and localization of pain, shown or as the isolated phenomenon, or accompanied by other symptoms of a basic disease: nausea, dizziness, hearing disorder and sight.

Cervical headache (vertebrogenny tservikokranialgiya) – the nonspecific painful symptom of the vertebrogenny nature which is characterized by localization of the pain in cervical and occipital departments irradiating to the frontal and orbital area. The headache of such character is directly connected with the degenerative processes proceeding in cervical department of a backbone. In most cases osteochondrosis is the reason of development of a cervical headache, much less often development of a headache of this kind is influenced by injuries of cervical department of a backbone, aseptic inflammatory processes and other diseases.

The cervical headache differs in variety of signs and options of a current: the headache in cervical department can be unilateral and generalized, pressing, arching, sharp, burning, pulsing, stupid, aching.

Display of a cervical headache is influenced by a set of factors: long stay in a certain pose, exercise stress, overcooling, sharp movements.

Cervical osteochondrosis: headache as main symptom

Cervical osteochondrosis – the disease which is characterized by degenerative changes in joints of cervical vertebrae. Intervertebral disks (cartilaginous laying between vertebrae) consist of fibrous rings and jellylike kernels. The main function of intervertebral disks – depreciation and hypodispersion of pressure upon vertebrae at the movement. Eventually the jellylike kernel becomes less elastic that leads to decrease in the springing properties of a backbone. At development of osteochondrosis there is a razvolokneniye and cracking of a fibrous ring, flattening of the disk. In addition to destruction of intervertebral disks growth of bone outgrowths (osteophytes) at edges of vertebras and the shift of vertebrae is also observed.

At diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis the headache can be caused by the following factors:

• Syndrome of a vertebral artery;
• Compression of vertebral nerves;
• Infringement of a back branch of cervical spinal nerves;
• Hypertensive syndrome.

It should be noted that at cervical osteochondrosis the headache will have various manifestations depending on the reasons which caused a pain syndrome. Also treatment of a headache at cervical osteochondrosis will depend first of all on the factors provoking it.

Headache pathogeny at cervical osteochondrosis

The reasons causing a headache at cervical osteochondrosis in many respects define its character, a current and localization.

So, at a syndrome of a vertebral artery the cervical headache gains the burning, pulsing character, with localization in cervical and occipital area with its subsequent distribution to a temporal and parietal lobe. The headache at cervical osteochondrosis in this case is caused by a compression of a vertebral artery owing to the shift of vertebrae, hernia of a disk and other degenerative disturbances of cervical department of a backbone. At a syndrome of a vertebral artery the headache is followed by dizzinesses and disturbance of visual function. Much less often cervical headaches of such character are followed by the all-brain symptomatology caused by a circulatory unefficiency.

The compression of the vertebral nerves going parallel to a vertebral artery can also cause a headache at development of cervical osteochondrosis. The cervical headache of this kind is also called cervical migraine. Specifics of the headache caused by a compression of vertebral nerves consist in unilateral character of the painful feelings arising from the affected nerve. Pain is in that case localized in cervical and occipital department on the one hand with possible irradiation in a temporal and parietal lobe from the same party. Such headache can last till 10 o'clock and more.

The cervical headache can arise owing to infringement of the occipital nerves passing through the bone channels formed by cervical vertebrae. The cervical headache of such genesis is also called occipital neuralgia. Infringement of nerves happens owing to the shift of vertebrae, squeezing by disk fragments, osteophytes. The cervical headache caused by a compression of a branch of nerves can be unilateral or accept generalized character. At such genesis the cervical headache is characterized as burning, pulsing, localized in occipital department. The headache can extend to a parietal, temporal, front lobe, reaching eye-sockets. As a rule, the cervical headache of such genesis is not followed by dizziness and other symptoms.

The compression of arteries and veins at degenerative changes in cervical department of a backbone at osteochondrosis provokes development of the hypertensive syndrome which is also followed by a cervical headache of the holding apart, pressing character. The cervical headache at such disturbance is provoked by the movements of the head, eyeglobes. The headache of such genesis can be followed by all-brain symptomatology.

Cervical headache: treatment, prevention

At a pronounced cervical headache treatment will be directed both to relief of painful feelings, and to elimination of the reasons causing a headache.

If the cervical headache is caused by a hypertensive syndrome, the main treatment has to be directed to reduction of intracranial pressure for what dehydrating drugs of diuretic action, and also drugs normalizing venous outflow are used. The headache can be stopped analgetics.

At the cervical headache caused by a compression of branches of occipital and vertebral nerves, treatment assumes reception of antiinflammatory drugs, and also use of means of local action (ointments, plasters).

In case of a syndrome of a vertebral artery for stopping of a cervical headache treatment assumes reception of antiinflammatory drugs, means for normalization of venous outflow, blood circulation improvement.

It should be noted that the headache against the background of cervical osteochondrosis demands complex treatment. Use of spasmolytic drugs and analgeziruyushchy cure for a headache in cervical department will give only temporary effect. At the recurrent nature of a cervical headache it is necessary to conduct comprehensive examination for diagnosis of the reasons of its development. Cervical osteochondrosis – complex degenerative disturbance of department of a backbone which involves the damage of a number of its structures which is directly causing a headache. Treatment of single symptoms will only aggravate a problem.