Is A Headache And Neck Pain A Cause For Concern?
Experiencing a headache and neck pain at the same time may cause one to wonder if something serious is going on. Very often, when someone is suffering from a systemic disease of one type or another, discomfort or pain may be felt in two or more places at the same time.
The reverse situation isn't necessarily true however. Pain experienced in two different places at once usually doesn't mean a systemic disease is present. We don't always feel pain exactly where something is wrong, an exception usually being trauma. Problems associated with the liver or kidneys sometimes cause pain in the pelvic region, while heartburn is a stomach disorder often causing pain in the throat. A throat infection or sinus condition can result in an earache and sore throat at the same time.
The Complex Neck - So, what about headache and neck pain? There are a number of different ways in which both may be experienced at the same time. Fortunately, most of the time the condition isn't anything serious. The neck is one of the more complex parts of out body and in one sense, one of the busiest. Besides holding our head atop our shoulders, the neck contains the top portion of our spinal column, the cervical spinal cord. The cervical spinal cord is constantly transmitting messages from all parts of the body back to the brain. A number of these nerves are in the neck itself, as are a couple of the most important arteries and veins. The pharynx, part of the windpipe and the larynx, where are voice box is located, are in the neck, as are parts of the esophagus and the trachea. And there is the thyroid gland as well. All in all there's plenty going on in the neck at any one time, and if something isn't quite right the brain usually is made aware of it, and we may feel neck pain as a result.
Occipital And Tension Headaches - That doesn't necessarily explain where the headache comes in though may offer a few clues. One of the major nerves passing through the neck and into the brain is called the occipital nerve. If because of poor posture, sleeping wrong, or simply holding the neck in an awkward position for too long a time, the neck muscles may become tired and sore and at the same time place pressure on the occipital nerve, resulting in a headache. This is referred to as an occipital headache. Another type of headache, and perhaps a more common type which can accompany neck pain, is the tension headache. The tension headache is also due to posture problems or awkward positioning of the neck, but the occipital nerve is not involved. Rather, the neck muscles place tension on muscles in the scalp, and it is the tension on these muscles that result in a headache. Stress can be a major cause of a tension headache. The brain and skull have few nerve endings, so are normally not a source of a headache, but the muscles and nerves in the face and scalp are. Stiffness in the forehead and scalp due to eyestrain, among other things, can not only cause a headache, but can put tension on the neck muscles and cause neck pain as well.
Relief Through Stretching - At times, both headache and neck pain can be eliminated simply by relaxing and stretching the neck muscles. We tend to do this even without thinking at times, by rolling our head back and forth once or twice, though we usually don't think of doing that when we simply have a headache. Depending upon what is causing a headache, stretching the neck muscles may or may not help.
Prevention - It's a good practice to stretch and exercise the neck muscles from time to time as a preventive measure against headache and neck pain. Classes in stretching, relaxing and breathing, such as yoga or tai chi often devote a certain amount of time to exercising the neck muscles. This is always done very slowly, “super slowly” as some instructors will tell you. The neck should never be exercised or stretched using rapid or jerky movements.