At this time of year, as the nights begin to draw in and the focus slowly turns towards the festive season, it can often represent the start of quite a stressful period within the calendar for most people.
We know that stress can manifest itself in many different ways and our bodies have their own unique way of telling us when we’re under pressure. From feeling tired and irritable to feeling really quite under the weather, the signs can vary greatly. There is however a number of common constants, most notably tension, typically in the neck and shoulders. Over time this tension can build and, if not dealt with, can produce what is referred to as the Tension Type Headache.
But how do we know that a headache is due to stress or tension (a Tension-Type-Headaches) and not due to something more complex like dysfunction of the neck and spine (a Cervicogenic Headache)?
Headache disorders are among the most common disorders of the neurological system with 47% of the worldwide adult population suffering from headaches at least once over a 12 month period. In the UK alone, headaches cost the NHS £956 million from annual service use, with an estimated £4.6 billion being lost through absence from work.
So what’s the difference between the two?
A Tension Type Headache is caused by excessive tension in the muscles that help support and stabilize your neck or cervical spine. They have characteristic pain both sides of the neck and head, with a ‘skull-cap’ of tension around the head that can often leave you feeling weighed down.
A Cervicogenic Headache is caused by disorders of the cervical spine and its component bony, disc and/or soft tissue elements. They can occur with or without injury or trauma and cause a headache to one side of the neck and head. They start from the back of the neck and travel up and over to the forehead and sometimes even into the face. In extremes they may also produce some rather nasty signs and symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, and issues with sight and sounds similar to migraines.
The neck itself is often described as the last link in the chain of spinal function, moving over 600 times a minute and acts like an information super highway faster than any fibre-optic broadband available today. With the World Health Organisation describing headache disorders as a worldwide issue that is underestimated, under-diagnosed and under-treated worldwide, if you suffer with headaches you’re not alone.
But its not all doom and gloom! Consulting an appropriately trained manual therapist, can lead to the right diagnosis and treatment. Areas of dysfunction can be picked up before they become problematic and further complication occurs with research showing that manual therapy has a long lasting beneficial effect on both Tension-Type and Cervicogenic Headaches.
I personally am greatly looking forward to the winter months ahead as it means more time spent with family and the start of the rugby Six Nations, which usually results in me having a stress induced Tension-Type Headache! [Joel is Welsh – editor]
