Newsletter – OC3 in Headache Matters

The Abandonment of C1-2 Watson’s colleague, still considering the implications of their last discussion, arrives in a reflective mood, “There is another issue that has been niggling me since we have been discussing headache and migraine. Recently, a paper[1] came across my desk which reported that the incidence of headache referral from C1-2 was only

‘Okay, I get that alternating unilateral head pain is a musculoskeletal event’, affirms Watson’s colleague, ‘but I was discussing this with a psychologist colleague of mine who pointed to numerous studies highlighting the increased prevalence of depression and anxiety in those with migraine, perhaps implying a causal role’. Does Migraine Result from Depression, or Is

Watson’s colleague wants to ensure his comprehension, “So what you are saying is that to rule out cervicogenic headache (CGH) because of alternating unilateral head pain is baseless.” “Yes, the silence of the medical model about alternating headache is conspicuous – ‘the reasons (for alternating unilateral – side-shifting – head pain) are unclear (1), and

Watson, sensing that his colleague has relaxed, decides to continue, “I mentioned earlier that  other researchers have investigated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in cervical discs because it is recognised that the annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) vary substantially in the content of the two main macromolecular components, collagen and aggrecan.”(1) Aggre… what? “What is aggrecan?” 

“Let’s examine the perspective that the nucleus pulposus (NP) transforms with age to a more rigid fibrocartilaginous mass; it is devoid of viscosity,” resumes Watson.  “Advanced technologies have made it possible to perform more sophisticated in vitro studies and in vivo and biochemical analyses.” “Take for example scanning electron microscopy (SEM); SEM has demonstrated that

Watson continues (Edition 16 – Alternating Unilateral Head Pain In Primary Headache: The ‘Elephant In The Room’), “I understand that extrapolating from lumbar discs to cervical discs may not appear valid because of the seminal research performed by Mercer and Bogduk (1).  I accept this.  However, let’s revisit their research.” “Yes, that sounds appropriate,” agrees