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Misconception 6 of 10

Examining Upper Cervical Segments

That reproduction of headache when examining upper cervical segments confirms cervicogenic relevancy – wrong!

Whilst reproduction of typical symptoms does not confirm relevancy, if this occurs, one can be very, very, suspicious of cervical involvement.

However, there are situations in which reproduction is possible and the source is not the upper cervical segments, for e.g., lack of inhibition because of insufficient serotonin or dysfunction of descending inhibitory pathways (Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls – DNICs), or sensitisation from noxious trigeminal afferents.

As the headache producing (cervical) technique is sustained in the presence of the abovementioned situations the referred pain does not change because the intervention is ‘spinal’.   However resolution of referred symptoms as the examination technique is sustained confirms cervical afferents as the source, symptoms are responding to a spinal intervention i.e. Reproduction and Resolution confirms Relevancy.

Recent ground breaking research has shown that Reproduction and Resolution of referred head pain, which is unique and fundamental to the Watson Headache® Approach, De-sensitises the brainstem.24

The Watson Headache® Approach is the only manual cervical approach which has been shown to affect the very essence of the headache-migraine process, thus confirming cervicogenic relevancy.

References:

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