Title : Treatment of headache by physios: No more a headache for physios
Abstract:
A physiotherapist should be equipped to assess cervicogenic dysfunction in a patient with a headache, and hence every headache patient should be assessed by a physiotherapist. Headache and migraine are not mutually exclusive, but are different expressions of the same condition- the sensitized trigeminocervical nucleus. Recent evidence proves the same. Cervicogenic headache as a distinct entity continues to be debated. Cervicogenic headaches affect 22–25% of the adult population. Manual examination of the vertebral segments in a systematic approach is needed to determine the primary cause of the headache from the dysfunctional cervical spine segment. The Watson Headache Approach is an evidence-backed method of C0-C3 manual therapy for assessment and management. In recent systematic reviews, cervical mobilization has been found to be beneficial in reducing headache disability, pain intensity, frequency, and duration. Passive accessory intervertebral motion and the posteroanterior pressures demonstrate immediate pain relief, as well as long-term follow-up show, maintained results. Partial diagnosis of a migraine is a common clinical mistake which leads to other modes of treatment such as anesthetic blockades, and this can be avoided.
