A cervicogenic headache is pain in the head typically caused by compression or irritation of the greater occipital nerve. A lot of times this happens due to tension in the suboccipital muscles (the muscles at the base of your skull)
Symptoms with this type of headache will feel like pain or tension at the base of the skull and wrap around the back of the head and into the forehead right around the eyebrow. It can happen on only one side or both sides simultaneously.
First off, your physical therapist will conduct a full evaluation to ensure your headache is being caused by musculoskeletal impairments to make sure it is something they can treat. Then they will come up with a treatment plan specific to you and how your symptoms are presenting. This will likely look like soft tissue work to the muscles in the neck (with a lot of focus on the base of the skull), joint mobilizations to your upper cervical spine, and exercises focusing on neck positioning and postural stabilization to help prevent the symptoms from returning.
If you suspect you may be experiencing cervicogenic headaches come see one of our skilled physical therapists to start living pain free!