3 Exercises to Ease Cervicogenic Headaches
Headaches can occur for lots of reasons. It can be hard to know what kind you have and what’s causing it. But if it’s related to a problem in your neck, there’s a good chance it’s a cervicogenic headache.
Cervicogenic headaches can come from problems with the bones in your neck (vertebrae), joints, or neck muscles that happen over time.
For example, people in certain jobs, like hair stylists, carpenters, and truck drivers, can get cervicogenic headaches from the way they hold their heads when they work.
Sometimes cervicogenic headache happens in people who hold their heads out in front of their bodies (forward head posture), which puts extra weight on your neck and upper back.
It also can come from a fall, sports injury, whiplash, arthritis in the cervical spine (neck), or from a pinched nerve in the neck.
In today’s video we demonstrate 3 simple exercises you can do at home to help ease a cervicogenic headache:
- 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐬 – While lying on your back with a small folded up towel under your head, tuck your chin towards your chest. Also, focus on putting pressure on the towel with the back of your head. Maintain contact of head with the towel the entire time. Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps, hold each rep for 3-5 seconds.
- 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 – Hold the ends of a small folded bath towel and wrap it around your head and neck as shown. Place the towel on your face so as to minimize placing pressure on your jaw. Pressure should be placed on the side of your face/cheek bone. Use your bottom most arm to anchor the towel in place. Use your top most arm to pull the towel to cause a gentle rotational stretch in your neck. Hold, then return to starting position and repeat for 3 sets of 30 second holds.
- 𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐳𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 – Place one hand behind your back and gently pull your head towards the opposite side with the help of your other arm. Repeat 3 sets of 30 second holds each side.