Novel Physiotherapies

Biography

Biography: Umasankar Mohanty

Abstract

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a unilateral headache localized in the neck or occipital region, projecting to the frontal and temporal regions. The cervicogenic headache accounts for up to 20% of all headaches. Sjaastad et al. were the first to give its current name in 1998. The diagnostic criteria for cervicogenic headache as outlined by Sjaastad et al. (1998) and the International Headache Society (2000) are principally based on subjective characteristics. The pain is triggered by active neck movement, passive neck positioning, extension or extension with rotation toward the side of pain, or on applying digital pressure to the involved facet regions or over the ipsilateral greater occipital nerve. Diagnostic imaging such as radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and CT are normal. The structures with possibilities which give rise to the cervicogenic headaches are the upper cervical nerves (greater and lesser occipital nerves), nerve roots, cervical muscles, cervical discs and zygapophyseal (facet) joints, occipito-atlantal, atlantoaxial, middle cervical and lower cervical area. The functional convergence of upper cervical and trigeminal (trigeminal nucleus caudalis) sensory pathways allows the bidirectional referral of painful sensations between the neck and trigeminal sensory receptive fields of the face and head. Manual therapy techniques comprising of cranial base release, cervical A-P glide, lateral P-A glide, transverse glide, high velocity low amplitude thrust techniques (HVLAT) and muscle energy techniques for suboccipitals are found to be extremely useful for the treatment of cervicogenic headache.