Treating the Neck Can Eliminate Migraine Symptoms

July 22, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

Interesting to note that by blocking or ‘numbing’ the greater occipital nerve, the pain of migraine, sensitivity to light and tendereness are all significantly reduced – further evidence to support that abnormal cervicogenic (neck) information could be the source of sensitisation in the migraine process.

Cheers

Dean

(Young, W. et al The first 5 minutes after greater occipital nerve block. Headache 2008 July 48(7):1126-8)

Filed under Blog · Tagged with cervicogenic, migraine, neck, occipital nerve, pain, sensitisation

How One Particular Physiotherapy Technique Helps to Manage Migraines.

July 21, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

How a Migraine Sufferer benefited from the Manchester University’s Migraine Trial using the ‘Watson Headache Approach’

“I was really stuck in a rut. I couldn’t do anything without inducing a headache,” says Ms Lord, who also suffered from a stiff neck and describes having a ‘fuzzy head’ most of the time.

That was until she was invited to take part in the UK’s first study to identify whether one particular physiotherapy technique could help to manage migraines (see Building the evidence base,).

Having completed a patient diary and screening to rule out other possible causes of headache, Ms Lord was offered a series of six physiotherapy treatments. She says: “I felt a difference from the first treatment. I’m on my fifth now and with each one my headaches have been getting better… I still get the odd one, but now I can run and play with the kids.”

She is aware of other effects too. “I feel like I’ve had a spring clean in my head. Colours are really vibrant, and when I went shopping the other day I noticed that I wasn’t getting confused,” she says.

Quoted in Frontline Magazine, Issue 17th June 2009, the official journal of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in the United Kingdom, Titled “When Headache is a Pain the Neck” by Louise Hunt.

Filed under News · Tagged with headache, migraine, neck

Alternating Headache

July 21, 2009 by Dean Watson · Leave a Comment

Filed under Blog · Tagged with cervicogenic, headache, migraine, neck

A Breakthrough in Treating Headache and Migraine

July 20, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

How a UK based Physiotherapist, Jayne Davies, has helped headache and migraine sufferers using the ‘Watson Headache Approach’.

Physiotherapist Jayne Davies finds it frustrating that physiotherapy for headaches does not get the publicity it deserves. Ms Davies works in both the NHS and privately, and has trained in a variety of techniques for treating headaches.

She says a breakthrough only occurred in her work after taking Dean Watson’s course, and she is now an assistant teacher on the UK courses. “It’s quite amazing. I’ve had a lot of patients who have had migraines for years and they have gone completely after using Dean Watson’s treatment, although this doesn’t happen for everyone.”

Filed under News · Tagged with headache and migraine, headache and migraine sufferers

Just Massage the Nerve for Migraine Relief!

July 20, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

Here is some information which suggests that instead of blocking or ‘numbing’ the greater occipital nerve all you need to do is massage the greater occipital nerve firmly for the relief of migraine pain. Importantly, this was done as soon as the first sign of the migraine process appeared …. more information that by influencing information from neck structures, migraine symptoms can be resolved.

Cheers

Dean

(Piovesan EJ et al Massaging over the greater occipital nerve reduces the intensity of migraine attacks: evidence for inhibtory trigemino-cervical convergence mechanisms. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2007 Sep;65(3A):599-604)

Filed under Blog · Tagged with migraine, neck, occipital nerve

Diagnosing Headache

July 19, 2009 by Dean Watson · Leave a Comment

Filed under Blog · Tagged with headache and migraine

Diagnosing Headache and Migraine – Is It Useful?

July 18, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

Diagnosing headache and migraine provides a label – that is all.

Evidence is mounting to support the concept that headache and migraine originates from a single condition – sensitisation of the brainstem – and that the various types of headache and migraine are different presentations of this condition.

What is more important than a diagnosis is to determine the cause of the sensitisation and then address this.

Case reports demonstrating relief of migraine (and cluster headache) symptoms after blocking or suppressing (abnormal) information from the upper neck, clearly indicate that neck disorders are capable of sensitising the trigemino-cervical nucleus (brainstem) – this is easy to confirm or rule out – by having your neck examined by a practitioner experienced in assessment of the upper cervical spine.

Cheers

Dean

(Anderson CD, Franks RA. Migraine and tension headache: is there a physiological difference? Headache 1981; 21:63-71

Cady RK, Gutterman D, Saires JA, Beach ME. Responsiveness of non-IHS migraine and tesnion-type headache to sumatrptan. Cephalalgia 1997;17:588-90

Cady R, Schreiber C, Farmer K, Sheftell F. Primary headaches: a convergence hypothesis. Headache 2002; 42:204-16

Featherstone HJ. Migraine and muscle contraction headaches: a continuum. Headache 1985; 25:194-198

Featherstone HJ. Migraine and muscle contraction headaches: a continuum. Headache 1985; 25:194-8

Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia 2004; 24(suppl.1):1-151

Jull G, Bogduk N, Marsland A. The accuracy of manual diagnosis for cervical zygapophyseal joint pain syndromes. Med J Aust. 1988 Mar 7;148(5):233-6

Katsavara Z, Lehnerdt G, Duda B, Ellrich J, Diener HC, Kaube H. Sensitization of trigeminal nociception specific for migraine but not pain of sinusitis. Neurology 2002; 59:1450-1453

Katsavara Z, Giffin N, Diener HC, Kaube H. Abnormal habituation of ‘nociceptive’ blink reflex in migraine – evidence for increased excitability of trigeminal nociception. Cephalalgia 2003; 23:814-819

Kaube H, Katasavara Z, Przywara S, Drepper J, Ellrich J, Diener HC. Acute migraine headache. Possible sensitization of neurons in the spinal trigeminal nucleus? Neurology 2002; 58:1234-1238

Marcus DA. Migraine and tension-type headaches: the questionable validity of current classification systems. Clin J Pain 1992; 8:28-36

Marcus D, Scharff L, Mercer S, Turk D. Musculoskeletal abnormalities in chronic headache: a controlled comparison of headache diagnostic groups. Headache 1999; 39:21-27

Mercer S, Marcus DA, Nash J. Cervical musculoskeletal disorders in migraine and tension-type headache. Paper presented at the 68th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association; 1993; Cincinatti, Ohio

Milanov I, Bogdanova D. Trigemino-cervical reflex in patients with headache. Cephalalgia 2003; 23:35-38

Nardone R, Tezzon F. The trigemino-cervical reflex in tension-type headache. European Journal of Neurology 2003; 10(3):307-312

Nardone R et al Trigemino-Cervical Reflex Abnormalities in Patients with Migraine and Cluster Headache. Headache 2008; 48(4):578-585

Nelson CF. The tension headache, migraine headache continuum: A hypothesis J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1994; 17:156-167

Sandrini G, Cecchini AB, Milanov I, Tassorelli C, Buzzi MG, Nappi G. Electrophysiological evidence for trigeminal neuron sensitisation in patients with migraine. Neurosci Lett 2002; 317:135-138

Sjaastad O, Fredricksen TA, Pfaffenrath V. Cervicogenic headache: diagnostic criteria. Headache 1998; 38:442-5

Vernon H, Steiman I, Hagino C. Cervicogenic dysfunction in muscle contraction headache and migraine: A descriptive study. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1992; 15:418-429)

Filed under Blog · Tagged with brainstem, headache and migraine, sensitisation

Anaesthetising Neck Structures Cease the Hemiplegic Aura of Migraine

July 17, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

Selected neck structures were anaesthetised

In a recent report anaesthetising selected neck structures ceased the hemiplegic aura in a two migraine patients.

This patients’ auras comprised slight weakness, tingling and or numbness involving one side of the body, and face. Within 5 minutes of injecting a local anaesthetic the auras ceased and were not followed by their usual pain states.

I have on two occasions prevented auras from developing, in fact they ceased within 5 minutes after mobilising the upper cervical spine – and furthermore the usual pain did not occur. My experience and what is reported in this case study suggests that abnormal information from a neck disorder could be sensitising the brainstem and suppressing it, preventing the migraine occurring.

I have mentioned temporary reproduction of familiar pain as a key diagnostic sign for cervicogenic headache; in a significant proportion of patients suffering migraine with aura it is also possible to temporarily reproduce their auras with subsequent lessening (as the examination technique is sustained) when examining the upper neck – once again this is a good sign and confirms cervicogenic factors as the source of sensitisation.

It is not necessary for confirmation to have invasive (nerve block) procedures …

Cheers

Dean

(Jull G, Bogduk N, Marsland A. The accuracy of manual diagnosis for cervical zygapophyseal joint pain syndromes. Med J Aust. 1988 Mar 7;148(5):233-6

Rozen T. Cessation of hemiplegic migraine auras with greater occipital nerve blockade. Headache 2007;47:917-928)

Filed under Blog · Tagged with brainstem, cervical spine, cervicogenic, migraine, sensitisation

Diagnosing Headache and Migraine From Symptoms is Complex

July 16, 2009 by dean · Leave a Comment

Diagnosing headache and migraine is complex primarily because of overlapping symptoms (which once again suggests that there is a common mechanism involved in headache and migraine), leading to misdiagnosis.

In a recent trial, four females with a diagnosis of migraine, and in whom migraine therapies had not any substantial effect, were found to have significant signs of cervical (neck) involvement. After anaesthetising (numbing) the occipital nerve with a local anaesthetic, which prevents information from selected neck structures entering the brainstem, all four patients achieved either complete or substantial relief for up to 2 months.

The authors concluded that at least some migraine is misdiagnosed and is in fact a cervicogenic (neck-related) headache – this can be easily determined by a skilled examination of the upper cervical spine and temporarily reproducing familiar headache or migraine pain.

I have done this in the presence of international research organisations, respected researchers and headache and migraine authorities in Australia, Norway and the UK – this is what I teach on my courses in the UK and Europe.

Cheers

Dean

(Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia 2004; 24(suppl.1):1-151