When the pain behind your eyes starts at the top of your spine.
A headache with a starting point
Some headaches feel like they come from everywhere. Others have an address.
If yours tends to start at the base of your skull, wrap over one side of your head and settle behind your eye, your neck may be part of the story. This is called a cervicogenic headache. “Cervico” means neck. “Genic” means coming from. The pain is felt in your head, but it’s referred from structures in your upper neck: the joints, muscles and nerves at the top of your spine.
That matters. If the source is in your neck, treating only your head can miss the point.
First, though, the most important section of this article.
When to get emergency care
Most headaches aren’t dangerous. Some are. Call 911 or go to the emergency room right away if you have:
- A sudden, severe headache that feels like the worst of your life
- A headache with weakness or numbness in your face, arm or leg
- A headache with confusion, or trouble staying alert
- A headache with vision loss or a sudden change in your vision
- A headache with trouble speaking or understanding speech
- A headache with fever and a stiff neck
- A headache after a head injury, a fall or a car accident
Don’t wait to see if it passes. Don’t book a chiropractor first. Get emergency care.
See your medical doctor soon if your headaches are new and you’re over 50, if the pattern is changing, if they’re getting steadily worse, or if they wake you up at night.
Signs your neck may be involved
A cervicogenic headache has some common features. You don’t need all of them, and none of them alone proves the source. Together, they paint a picture:
- The pain is usually on one side, and tends to stay on that side.
- It starts in the neck or at the base of the skull and spreads forward.
- Moving your neck, or holding one position for a long time, brings it on or makes it worse.
- Your neck feels stiff, with less range when you turn or tilt your head.
- Pressing on certain spots at the top of your neck brings on the familiar headache.
- You may feel an ache in the shoulder or arm on the same side.
When neck pain and headaches show up together and seem to feed off each other, that’s a strong hint to look at the neck.
Cervicogenic headaches can overlap with migraine and tension headaches, and some people have more than one type. That’s why a proper exam beats a guess.
Why long days at a desk make it worse
Your head is heavy. When it sits balanced over your shoulders, your neck handles it well. When it drifts forward toward a screen, the muscles and joints at the top of your neck work harder to hold it up. Hour after hour. Day after day.
Desk work isn’t the villain. Staying still too long is. Common contributors include:
- A screen that sits too low, so your chin pokes forward
- Long stretches without changing position
- Hunching over a laptop on the couch or in bed
- Phone time with your head tipped down
- Stress, which tends to tighten your neck and shoulders
- Poor sleep, or a pillow that leaves your neck at an awkward angle
You don’t need perfect posture. Your best posture is your next one. Movement is the goal. For more, see our page for desk workers.
How a headache chiropractor can help
At Built 2 Move, the first job is figuring out what kind of headache you have, and ruling out anything that needs a different kind of care.
Your first visit includes a detailed history, a movement exam of your neck, upper back and shoulders, and X rays if they’re needed. No referral needed.
If your neck looks like a driver, care often includes:
- Gentle adjustments and mobilization for stiff joints in the upper neck and upper back
- Soft tissue work for tight muscles at the base of the skull and across the shoulders
- Exercises to build strength and endurance in the deep neck muscles
- Simple changes to your workstation and daily habits
There is research support for manual therapy and exercise in managing cervicogenic headache. Results vary from person to person, and nobody can promise an outcome. What you will get is a clear plan, with a beginning, a middle and an end. Maintenance afterward is your choice.
Already seeing a medical doctor or a neurologist for your headaches? Good. We’re glad to work alongside them.
Read more about how we approach headaches.
Your move
You don’t have to live with the pain behind your eyes without knowing where it starts.
Built 2 Move is at 3702 Park Pl., Montrose, CA 91020, with parking on site. It’s about ten minutes up the 2 from most of Glendale and about fifteen minutes on the 210 from most of Pasadena.
Most new patients are seen the same week, often within a day or two. We don’t bill insurance. HSA and FSA are welcome, and we can provide a superbill on request.
Book your first visit or call (818) 330-9990. Not sure where to start? Take The 60 Second Check.
This article is general education, not medical advice. If you have sudden severe pain, numbness in the groin, loss of bladder or bowel control, or new weakness, get emergency care.