Research and News
Posts tagged headache
Cervicogenic Headache Treatment: What’s the Evidence?
Oct 11th
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Janda's Upper Crossed Syndrome
How many of your patients with neck pain suffer from headaches as well, or vice-versa? Cervicogenic headaches are characterized by unilateral headache radiating from the posterior to anterior head, unilateral upper cervical pain and facet “locking,” which is often aggravated by sustained neck positions. Cervicogenic headaches are thought to result from a convergence of sensory input from the upper cervical spine into the trigeminal nucleus. Interestingly, these patients often exhibit Janda’s Upper Crossed Syndrome.
I recently published a review article on the assessment and management of cervicogenic headaches in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. The article describes the assessment of posture, range of motion, muscle length, muscle strength, joint mobility, breathing patterns, and trigger points. A special test, the Cervical Flexion-Rotation test, can help confirm the diagnosis with ~90% accuracy.
Based on my review of the literature, I recommend a multi-modal layered approach to cervicogenic headaches (or any chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome for that matter): modalities, manual therapy, and therapeutic exercise. For cervicogenic headache patients, modalities such as TENS, cryotherapy, or low-level laser therapy can be helpful. Spinal manipulative More >
Researchers show Thera-Band Tubing exercise decreases pain in workers
Jun 17th
Previously, Danish researchers reported that 2 minutes of daily Thera-Band® tubing shoulder lateral raise exercise significantly reduced neck and shoulder pain over 10 weeks. As part of their randomized controlled trial, Dr. Lars L. Anderson and his colleagues at the National Research Center for the Working Environment in Copenhagen wanted to know the effects of the exercise on workers with headaches. Click here to see a video of the exercise. 198 office workers with chronic neck/shoulder pain were randomly assigned to either a 2 or 12-minute per day, 5 day a week exercise program, or a control group. After 10 weeks, both exercise groups had significantly fewer headaches than the control group – with a frequency reduction of 43%-56%. Intensity and duration of headaches remained unchanged. As with their previous study, 2 minutes was as effective as 12 minutes of exercise per day.
Dr Andersen stated, “The elastic resistance exercise helps strengthen the muscles around the neck and shoulder that may improve their work capacity, thus making the muscles more efficient and less painful.” Dr. Andersen and his colleagues published their results in a free download in the Scandinavian Journal of Work and Environmental Health.
Thera-Band® resistance helps headache associated with neck pain
Jun 8th
Cervicogenic headaches, or headaches referred from the neck, occur in about 2.5% of adults. While most people treat their headaches with medication, research is showing that exercise may be a better long-term solution, particularly for chronic neck pain. Researcher Jari Ylinen MD, PhD from Central Hospital in Finland and his colleagues investigated the effects of Thera-Band® strengthening exercises and endurance exercises in patients with headaches and arm pain associated with neck pain. His findings were published in the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Previously, Dr. Ylinen published landmark studies showing Thera-Band cervical exercises “relieve or even completely eliminate pain and restore function in patients with chronic neck pain.” His most recent study investigated the same program in patients with neck pain and headaches. In the blinded, randomized controlled trial, 180 female office workers with head and neck pain were assigned to a strengthening group, endurance training, or control group.
Training methods. Both training groups started with 2 weeks of clinical rehabilitation and a home exercise program, 5 days per week. The endurance group exercised by lifting their head up from supine for 3 sets of 20, while the strengthening group used a dynamic isometric Thera-Band exercise in a sitting position for 1 set of 15 More >
