With many headaches and migraines a cervical (neck) component exists which is often poorly assessed and treated. This then results in dependence on medication, overuse of medication and chronic headaches. Here at Physio Ready we provide expertise knowledge of headaches and migraines.
Why pay attention to the C2-C3 joint of the neck?
Particular attention should be paid to the C2-C3 joint in the neck. The C2-3 joint is the joint between the second and third vertebrae of your spine. It sits high up in our neck close to the skull.
The C2-3 segment can get a bit jammed up because when you’ve got a lot of movement happening above and below the joint but at the joint itself not much movement, it can get a little bit confused as to what its function might be. With headaches and migraines, evidence is showing that the C2-3 joint can be a main driver. If the C2-C3 joint doesn’t move as well as the other joints above and below it, a headache and migraine can be brought on as the brain is sensitised by ongoing signals from the C2-C3 joint.
So why would the C2-C3 joint not move as well?
What can sometimes happen is that due who a forward head posture and poor overall positions throughout the day the C2-C3 joint can can be loaded up. So a lot of things, like computer work, looking down, slouching in a chair, can put extra stress through that C2-3 segment and make it a little bit irritated and a little bit angry.
There’s a couple of muscles that also attach into C2-3. So you’ve got the muscles that connect down to your shoulder blade. You’ve got a few muscles that connect down, that hold your head upright. So there’s a lot of different things that attach to this particular joint. It’s a very special joint, and when something isn’t going quite right with it, whether it be stiff, a bit irritated, a little bit sensitive, then all hell can break loose.
When you have problems at C2-C3 you can get all sorts of different pains. Pains in your neck, a tension headache at the back of the head, a really explosive, sickening pain that that comes up and over the head, into behind the eye. Because of the way that the nerves then pass up in through your brain, it can affect things like dizziness, like nausea, and then as a result of that, sensitive to light, sensitive to sound, like a migraine as well. So you can get all of these different things that can happen as a result of the C2-3 joint, where the C2-3 joint is the main driver of it, and then all of these different symptoms seem not to be related to it.
What does treatment look like?
The biggest mistake that’s made when treating C2-3, at times, is actually treating just the sides, when really what we want to treat is the front to back direction, okay. So getting that front to back movement at C2-3, getting nice and loose, getting it nice and desensitized, so that your brain doesn’t see it as such a big issue anymore. So that C2-3 joint is something that we look at on day one with most people with headache and migraine. It’s very rare that we wouldn’t be looking at that joint on day one.
Treatment techniques involve a gentle sustained pressure on the C2-C3 joint with the therapists thumb. No cracking or manipulations are performed. Patients tend to feel minor tenderness which eases off as thumb pressure is sustained on the C2-C3 joint. Results of the treatment are seen immediately and therapists are able to feel a greater movement in the C2-C3 joint. Headaches and migraine symptoms should also change post treatment. However at times momentum of treatment is required and generally 5-8 consecutive sessions are required to obtain good effect for headaches and migraines. In addition to the C2-C3 joint treatment muscle weakness, other upper and lower cervical joints and ocular motor control must be assessed and treated.
The C2-C3 joint seems to be the root of all evil when it comes to tension headaches and migraines, and certainly, getting that segment moving, less sensitive, and then getting the muscles around it stronger, both locally around the joint itself, and then the muscles in your neck and shoulder, seems to do a really, really good job in desensitizing the system well enough, so that tension headaches and migraines are a thing of the past.
If you are struggling with headaches and migraines contact Physio Ready today on (02) 8622 1681 or (02) 9249 9122. We will provide expertise treatment for your headaches and migraines.