Chronic headaches and migraines can be caused by many different things, including hormonal changes, food sensitivities and chemical imbalances. However, in many cases, acute and chronic headaches stem from tension and spasm in the cervical muscles and compression of nerves that enter into the head.
There are several muscles that can cause severe and even debilitating headaches. One of which is the trapezius muscle. This large muscle covers the upper back and neck. It has a tendency to be overactive, as it works full-time to maintain the position of the head and help with certain movements of the shoulder. Poor posture, prolonged computer use and even exercises that target strengthening this muscle, make the trapezius muscle is subject to chronic overload, resulting in tension and shortening of the muscle. When this happens, active trigger points can form, which are tight areas within the muscle that cause local and referred pain. The referred pain can show up as a headache.
In some cases, tension in the upper trapezius can compress the greater occipital nerve, resulting in Greater Occipital Nerve Neuralgia. Symptoms are a dull, drilling pain in the morning at the base of the skull, as well as pain in the neck and sometimes shoulders. The neck is stiff and uncomfortable. Pain is normally felt on one side of the head. There is no aura, distinguishing this headache from a true migraine. Depending upon how much pressure is on the greater occipital nerve, the pain may stay in the back of the head or radiate all the way to the forehead.
In other cases, the temporal artery is constricted due to the tension the upper trapezius muscle. When this occurs, it results in an acute vascular headache or migraine. This headache is much more severe than one from just an active trigger point and affects half the head and eye.
Another major contributor to chronic headaches is the semispinalis capitis muscle. Unfortunately, this muscle is sometimes overlooked by therapists and medical practitioners. Due to its anatomical location, it has a tendency to simply irritate, instead of compress, the greater occipital nerve. Because of this, patients will complain of a headache, but not associate it with the occipital area. These headaches can be misdiagnosed as migraines. The headaches are constant, moderate type headaches that may flare up as migraines, but without an aura. During flare-ups, patients may experience autonomic reactions, such as dizziness, nausea or sweating.
If you are suffering from chronic headaches, it is important to have a proper evaluation of the neck muscles. Simple tests performed by a medical massage practitioner can help identify whether or not your symptoms are a result of tension in your neck neck muscles that harbor active trigger points and determine if these muscles are compressing nerves that enter the head. For anyone who has received Botox injections for chronic headaches, medical massage is a great alternative because it addresses the cause of the problem and works to remove the compression on the nerve permanently.
