Misconception 2 of 10

Chronicity

That chronicity means protracted treated and unsatisfactory outcomes – wrong!

The underlying disorder in headache and migraine is a sensitised brainstem and chronicity is underpinned by central sensitisation.

This is how the ‘triptans’ (heavy duty anti-migraine medication) abort migraine – they desensitise the brainstem21-23 – temporarily of course because they do not change the reason for sensitisation.

The sensitisation continues until the source of sensitisation is determined and addressed; upper cervical afferents are one largely ignored source and with specific expertise easily confirmed.

Unless reproduction and resolution of headache is achieved it is unlikely the headache process is being affected. Where noxious upper cervical afferents are the cause of sensitisation, clinical experience and groundbreaking research24 has shown that the signs of central sensitisation diminish and de-sensitisation of the brainstem occurs within minutes25 with appropriate intervention!

The Watson Headache® Approach is recognised for its unique 2-part clinical reasoning process and unerring accuracy – this is why identification of upper cervical relevancy and progress is expeditious.

References:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Nardone R, Ausserer H, Bratti A, Covi M, Lochner P, Marth R, Florio I, Tezzon F. Trigemino-Cervical Reflex Abnormalities in Patients with Migraine and Cluster Headache. Headache 2008; 48(4):578-585
  6. Nardone R, Tezzon F. The trigemino-cervical reflex in tension-type headache. European Journal of Neurology 2003; 10(3):307-312
  7. Varlibas A, Erdemoglu Ak. Altered trigeminal system excitability in menstrual migraine patients. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2009; 10(4):277-282
  8. Watson DH, Drummond PD. Head Pain Referral During Examination of the Neck in Migraine and Tension-Type Headache. Headache 2014;54:1035-1045
  9. Rothbart P. The cervicogenic headache: A pain in the neck. Can J Diagnos 1996; 13: 64–71.
  10. Takmaz AS, Inan N, Ucler S, Yazar MA, Inan L, Basar H. Greater occipital nerve block in migraine headache: Preliminary results of 10 patients. 2008 Jan;20(1):47-50
  11. Yi X et al Cervicogenic headache in patients with presumed migraine missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis? J Pain. 2005 Oct;6(10):700-3
  12. Young WB, Marmura M, Ashkenazi A, Evans RW. Expert opinion: Greater occipital nerve and other anesthetic injections for primary headache disorders. 2008;48:1122-1125
  13. Rozen T. Cessation of hemiplegic migraine auras with greater occipital nerve blockade. Headache 2007;47:917-928
  14. Peres MF, Stiles MA, Siow HC. Greater occipital nerve blockade for cluster headache. Cephalalgia 2002;22:520-522
  15. Porta-Etessam J, Cuadrado ML, Galán L, Sampedro A, Valencia C. Temporal response to bupivacaine bilateral great occipital block in a patient with SUNCT syndrome. J Headache Pain 2010 Apr;11(2):179
  16. Tobin J,Stephen Flitman S. Nerve Blocks: When and What to Inject? Headache 2009;49(10):1479-85
  17. Pascual J. Treatment of hemicrania continua by occipital nerve stimulation with a bion device. Curr Pain Headache Rep 2009 Feb;13(1):3-4
  18. Jasper JF, Hayek SM. Implanted occipital nerve stimulators. Pain Physician 2008 Mar-Apr;11(2):187-200
  19. Goadsby PJ. Neurostimulation in primary headache syndromes. Expert Rev Neurother 2007 Dec;7(12):1785-9
  20. Burns B, Watkins L, Goadsby PJ. Treatment of hemicrania continua by occipital nerve stimulation with a bion device: Long term follow-up of a crossover study. Lancet Neurol 2008;7:1001-1012
  21. de Tommaso M, Guido M, Libro G, Sciruicchio V, Puca F. Zolmitriptan reverses blink reflex changes induced during the migraine attack in humans. Neurosci Lett 2000 Jul 28;289(1):57-60
  22. Hoskin KL, Kaube H, Goadsby PJ. Sumatriptan can inhibit trigeminal afferents by an exclusively neural mechanism. Brain1996; 119:1419-28
  23. 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
  24. Watson DH, Drummond PD Cervical Referral of Head Pain in Migraineurs: Effects on the Nociceptive Blink Reflex. Headache 2014;54:1035-1045
  25. Rozen TD, Haynes GV, Saper JR, Sheftell FD. Abrupt onset and termination of cutaneous allodynia (central sensitization) during attacks of SUNCT. Headache 2005;45:153-155
  26. Cooper G, Bailey B, Bogduk N. Cervical zygapophysial joint pain maps. Pain Med 2007;8:344-353
  27. Sjaastad O, Fredriksen TA, Pfaffenrath V. Cervicogenic headache: diagnostic criteria. Headache1998; 38: 442–5.!
  28. Sjaastad O1, Fredriksen TA. Cervicogenic headache: criteria, classification and epidemiology. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2000; 18(2 Suppl 19): S3-6.
  29. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society.The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia 2004; 24 (Suppl. 1): 1–151.!
  30. Porter RW, Miller CG. Back pain and trunk list. Spine. 1986;11:596–600.
  31. McKenzie RA, May S. Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy: The Lumbar Spine. 2nd ed. Waikanae, NZ: Spinal Publications; 2003.
  32. Suk KS, Lee HM, Moon SH, Kim NH. Lumbosacral scoliotic list by lumbar disc herniation. Spine. 2001;26: 667–671.
  33. Mercer S, Bogduk N. The ligaments and anulus fibrosus of human adult cervical intervertebral discs. Spine 1999;24: 619–626!
  34. Mercer SR, Jull GA. Review: morphology of the cervical intervertebral disc: implications for McKenzie’s model of the disc derangement syndrome. Manual Therapy 1996; 2: 76–81
  35. Pfaffenrath V, Dandekar R, Mayer ETh, Hermann G, Pöllmann W. Cervicogenic Headache: Results of Computer-Based Measurements of Cervical Spine Mobility in 15 Patients Cephalalgia, March 1988; vol. 8, 1: pp. 45-48.
  36. Sizer PS, Phelps V, Azevedo E, Haye A, Vaught M. Diagnosis and Management of Cervicogenic Headache. Pain Pract 2005 Sep;5(3):255-74.

Until next time

If you are new to Watson Headache®, welcome to the Watson Headache® Approach, an evidence-informed practice when considering the role of the neck in Cervicogenic and Primary Headache.

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