If you live in Lucknow and suffer from pounding headaches that refuse to go away with just painkillers, you are not alone. Many of our patients at VS Physiotherapy Clinic come to us convinced they have a hormonal migraine or a tension headache, only to discover the root cause lies inches below in their neck.
This specific type of headache has a medical name: Cervicogenic Headache. It mimics a migraine perfectly, but the trigger isn’t chocolate, weather, or stress, it is the mechanical dysfunction of your upper neck.
The “Anatomy” of the Confusion: Why Neck Pain Feels Like a Headache
To understand why a stiff neck causes throbbing behind your eyes, we need to look at the Trigeminocervical Nucleus.
Think of this nucleus as a busy traffic roundabout in your brainstem. It receives pain signals from two main roads:
- The Trigeminal Nerve: Responsible for sensation in your face and head.
- The Upper Cervical Nerves (C1, C2, C3): Responsible for sensation in your upper neck.
When your upper neck joints are stiff, inflamed, or stuck due to poor posture (like looking down at a phone), they flood this “roundabout” with pain signals. Your brain gets confused by the traffic and interprets the neck pain as coming from the head. This is referred pain.
Result: You feel a “migraine,” but the fire is actually burning in your neck.
Signs Your Headache is Coming from Your Neck
Distinguishing between a true vascular migraine and a cervicogenic headache requires expert assessment, but there are tell-tale signs. You likely have a neck-driven headache if:
- One-Sided Pain: The pain typically starts at the base of the skull and shoots up one side of the head to the eye or temple.
- Movement Triggers: Turning your head or holding a sustained posture (like looking at a laptop) worsens the headache.
- Reduced Range of Motion: Your neck feels stiff; you can’t turn it fully to the left or right.
- Tenderness: Pressing on the muscles directly under your skull (suboccipital muscles) recreates the headache pain.
The Role of Posture: The “Lucknow Traffic” Effect on Your Neck
In a bustling city like Lucknow, many of us spend hours commuting or sitting at desks. This leads to Forward Head Posture (Tech Neck). For every inch your head slides forward, the weight of your head on your neck doubles. This constant strain locks up the C1-C2 joints, creating a chronic cycle of pain.
How VS Physiotherapy Clinic Treats the Root Cause
At VS Physiotherapy, Osteopathy & Chiropractic Clinic in Kalyanpur, we don’t just treat the symptom; we correct the mechanics. Under the guidance of Dr. Venkatesh Mishra, our approach combines three distinct disciplines for faster relief:
1. Manual Therapy & Mobilization
Medication travels through your blood; it cannot physically unlock a stiff joint. We use specialized Mulligan’s SNAGs (Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides) and Maitland mobilization techniques to gently restore movement to the upper cervical spine. Once the joint moves freely, the pain signals to the brainstem stop.
2. Dry Needling for Trigger Points
Often, the pain is caused by “knots” in the Trapezius or Sternocleidomastoid muscles. We use dry needling to release these deep trigger points, providing almost instant relief from the referred pain pattern.
3. Chiropractic Adjustments
As one of the few clinics in Lucknow offering Chiropractic care, we perform precise spinal adjustments to realign vertebrae that are out of position, reducing the mechanical stress on your nerves.
4. Deep Neck Flexor Strengthening
Relief is good; prevention is better. We teach you how to activate your “deep neck flexors”, the core muscles of your neck. Weak flexors cause your chin to poke out; strong ones keep your head aligned.
3 Simple Habits to Reduce Neck-Related Migraines
While professional treatment is vital for recovery, these daily habits can prevent flare-ups:
- The 20-Minute Rule: If you work at a desk, change your position every 20 minutes. Even a 30-second reset helps.
- Chin Tucks: Perform gentle chin tucks (making a double chin) to reset your head position over your spine.
- Check Your Pillow: If you wake up with a headache, your pillow might be too high or too flat. Your neck should remain neutral while you sleep.
FAQs (For Google Snippets)
Q: Can physiotherapy cure migraines?
A: Physiotherapy is highly effective for cervicogenic headaches (headaches originating from the neck) and tension headaches. It can also reduce the frequency and intensity of true migraines by minimizing neck tension, which is a common trigger.
Q: How do I know if my headache is from my neck?A: If your headache is one-sided, worsens with neck movement, or is accompanied by neck stiffness and reduced range of motion, it is likely cervicogenic (neck-related).
Q: What treatments does VS Physiotherapy use for migraines?
A: We use a combination of spinal mobilization, chiropractic adjustments, dry needling for trigger points, and posture correction exercises to treat the root cause.
Take Action Today: Your Neck Pain Solution Awaits
Don’t let neck pain control your life another day. Whether you’re dealing with acute injury pain or chronic cervical spondylosis, our neck pain specialist in Lucknow team is ready to help you find lasting relief.
Ready to experience life without neck pain?
Visit Us: C-18, Kalyanpur (West), Front of SRM (TATA) Motors, Mazar Wali Gali, Tedhi Pulia Ring Rd, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 2260
Call Now: 070079 32170
Learn More: www.lucknowphysiotherapy.com
Book your consultation today and take the first step toward a pain-free tomorrow. Your neck will thank you!