Not all headaches are created equal. The category is broad: migraine, tension headache, cluster headache, sinus headache, and a type that often goes unrecognised until someone looks for it. Cervicogenic headache originates not in the head but in the structures of the cervical spine and is referred upward into the skull. It is one of the more common causes of persistent, recurrent headache, and it responds well to the right treatment.
What Is a Cervicogenic Headache?
A cervicogenic headache is a headache caused by dysfunction in the neck. The upper cervical joints, the muscles of the suboccipital region, and the nerves that emerge from the upper cervical spine all have the capacity to refer pain into the head. When these structures are irritated, restricted or compressed, the brain interprets the signals as coming from the head itself.
This referred pain pattern is the reason cervicogenic headache is so often misdiagnosed or simply labelled as tension headache or migraine. The pain is real and it is felt in the head. The source, however, is in the neck.
How to Recognise a Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic headaches tend to share a recognisable set of characteristics. They are typically one-sided, starting at the base of the skull and spreading forward to the temple, eye or forehead on the same side. They are often aggravated by sustained neck positions: prolonged screen work, looking downward for extended periods, sleeping in a poor position. Turning or moving the neck may reproduce the headache or make it worse. There is often associated neck stiffness and tenderness in the upper cervical musculature.
They can be accompanied by nausea and light sensitivity, which is why they are frequently mistaken for migraine. The key distinguishing feature is the mechanical relationship: the headache changes with neck position and movement.
The Osteopathic Approach
Osteopathy is one of the most effective treatments for cervicogenic headache precisely because it addresses the source rather than the symptom. Assessment focuses on identifying the specific levels of the cervical spine that are restricted or irritated, the pattern of muscle tension in the surrounding structures, and the postural factors that are loading the upper cervical joints.
Treatment typically involves mobilisation of the restricted cervical segments, soft tissue release of the suboccipital and upper cervical muscles, and attention to the thoracic spine and shoulder girdle, which frequently contribute to the overall pattern.
Patients also receive guidance on posture, workstation setup and any movement habits that are perpetuating the cervical loading. For many patients, a course of three to six sessions produces a significant and lasting reduction in headache frequency and intensity.
Cervicogenic headache does not have to be a permanent feature of your life. If your headaches tend to start at the base of your skull, worsen with screen time, or come with neck stiffness, book an osteopathy assessment and let us establish whether the source is structural.