Cervicogenic headache

Abstract

The relationship of the neck to headache has been recognized by physicians for over a century. However, whether the neck is the cause of a separate diagnostic entity, cervicogenic headache or simply a part of other headache complexes is the source of controversy. In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of neck symptoms associated with headache. Various criteria for the diagnosis of cervicogenic headache have been put forward, but a clear consensus is lacking. Unfortunately, this has resulted in reports of varying prevalence, varying treatment recommendations and literature reports that require scrutiny for diagnostic criteria used in selecting patients to be treated. Review of the literature shows many older uncontrolled studies and later literature reports describe only small numbers of patients. Cervicogenic headache or headache related to the neck afflicts many persons and research with adequate patient inclusion is needed. This paper describes cervicogenic headache and treatment options.