31 December 2006
Neck Disease Can Cause Migraine
All we know of migraine is that it is a one-sided headache. Classical migraine starts with an aura (warning signs) followed by headache associated with nausea, vomiting, dryness of mouth and sometimes with visual and hearing disturbances. Usually it disappears after some hours. Abnormal contraction and relaxation of blood vessels in the brain cause them.
In a few patients the migraine lasts for some days continuously without any relief.
Reasons for continuous migraine: Infection, Tumours, and Migraine originating from neck disease.
The first two diseases can be easily detected by investigation like blood test and radiological studies. If the above diseases are not diagnosed but still migraine persists then it could be the sequel of some neck disease.
One common neck disease causing migraine is compression of blood vessel (temporal artery) or nerves from neck to head or vice versa. The compression may be secondary to cervical spondylosis or injury to nerve or mal-position of cervical vertebrae.
Sudden pain in neck due to injury or strain can extend to head mimicking migraine. This type of pain may be due to inter-vertebral disc prolapsed when there is localized loss of sensation.
Symptoms:
Migraine pain can be felt as congestive or throbbing or neuralgic, violent, and they cannot tolerate noise, light, music etc. Usually the migraine is triggered after a physical or mental strain, loss of sleep, worries, anxiety, after taking alcohol, sleeping in a wrong posture, fasting, going in sunlight etc.
Treatment:
A classical migraine usually responds to ordinary painkiller and is relieved after a cold shower, or ice pack, gentle in the neck area etc.
But in case of migraine originated from neck disease, treatment should be focused on the origin of the disease. So, first neck should be treated; instead of that if we treat the migraine it will give only a temporary relief or there might not be any response to treatment.
In homoeopathy, apart from medicines for classified migraine, there is a group of medicine especially effective for migraine originating from neck disease.
If there is mal-position of the neck bones and if it compresses the nerve or blood vessel the realignment is the only solution and it can be done by manipulation technique. Short wave diathermy and ultrasound should treat migraine caused by cervical spondylosis.
Exercise to the neck makes the muscle stronger and prevents further attacks. All the above measures should be considered in treating the migraine originated from neck disease. Otherwise cure is a question mark.
Courtesy:
Satthy Homoeo-Physio Centre,
A-41 (New No.9) 6th street,
East Anna Nagar, Near Roundana,
Chennai-102.
Cell: 9841183702.