Could Cervical Radiculopathy Be Causing My Headaches?

19 Dec Could Cervical Radiculopathy Be Causing My Headaches?

Headaches can be caused by any number of things. They can be the result of a viral or bacterial infection. Headaches can be caused by stress, underlying medical conditions, food allergies, and more. Even cervical radiculopathy is a potential cause.

Cervical radiculopathy is a largely misunderstood condition among patients. Even some doctors do not fully understand it. However, pain medicine doctors typically know all the ins and outs of cervical radiculopathy and how to treat it. As for why the condition causes headaches, the explanation is rather fascinating.

A Basic Definition

Cervical radiculopathy is a condition typified by nerve irritation or compression in the cervical spine. The cervical spine is that portion of the spine between the shoulders and the base of the head. When one or more nerves become irritated or compressed, they send out pain signals. Pain can be experienced in the neck, shoulders, and arms. Sometimes that pain is experienced as a headache.

4 Pain Mechanisms

The fascinating aspect of cervical radiculopathy pain is that there isn’t just one mechanism behind it. There are actually four. Here they are:

1. Nerve Compression – The most direct pain mechanism is related to nerve compression. Maybe a herniated disc or a narrowing of the spinal canal is putting pressure on a particular nerve. The pressure results in pain felt in the head.
2. Pain Radiation – Irritated and compressed nerves are capable of producing pain signals that radiate along their entire pathways. Frequently, headache pain related to cervical radiculopathy is radiated pain.
3. Nerve Convergence – Convergence between trigeminal afferents and afferents in the C1-C3 vertebrae can cause nerve pain experienced as a headache.

1. Referred Pain – When convergence is present, pain associated with cervical spine structures can be perceived as headache pain even though pain signals are not directly sent through the nerve and upward into the head.

Regardless of the actual mechanism, a diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy suggests a variety of targeted treatments designed to interrupt pain signals while simultaneously reducing inflammation and irritation.

Characteristics of Cervicogenic Headaches

Headaches resulting from cervical radiculopathy are known as cervicogenic headaches. They can be difficult to diagnose if a clinician doesn’t know what to look for. Perhaps that has been your experience with your GP. Having regular headaches for which a GP can find no cause is sufficient motivation to visit a pain medicine doctor. We would be happy to see you in our Weatherford, TX office.

In the meantime, here are the general characteristics of cervicogenic headaches:

• Unilateral – The headaches are often unilateral, meaning they occur on the same side as the nerve irritation or compression.
• Progression – The headaches typically start in the neck and would gradually spread to the head, particularly the fronto-ocular region.
• Neck Pain – The headaches may be accompanied by neck pain as well. Some patients experience neck pain while others don’t.
• Triggers – A cervicogenic headache can be triggered by neck or head movements. A patient might be experiencing shoulder pain, then suddenly have a headache after turning their head too quickly.

It stands to reason that patients experiencing cervical radiculopathy pain report fairly quick relief from their headaches when the affected nerve is addressed. That is where our treatments come in. We treat cervical radiculopathy pain via cervical epidural injections, facet joint injections, and other pain remediation treatments.There would be no way for us to diagnose your headache pain without seeing you first. If you are experiencing headaches that your GP has been unable to diagnose, we invite you to make an appointment at Lone Star Pain Medicine. The cause of your discomfort could be cervical radiculopathy.