Norms for the diagnosis and treatment of cervicogenic headache

  Cervicogenic headache can be divided into neurogenic pain and myogenic pain depending on the different parts of the nerve roots involved. Neurogenic pain is caused by stimulation of the sensory root fibers of the nerve roots, while myogenic pain is caused by stimulation of the ventral motor nerve roots.  Patients with cervicogenic headache are mostly between 20 and 60 years old, with women being the most common. In the early stage, it is mostly discomfort in the occipital region, behind the ear, and below the ear, but later it turns into stuffiness or soreness, and gradually pain appears. The pain may extend to the forehead, D, top, and neck. In some cases, pain in the upper extremity of the ipsilateral shoulder and back may occur at the same time. The pain may have a remission period. As the disease progresses, the pain gradually worsens, persists, shortens the remission period, and worsens episodically. The pain may be aggravated by cold, exertion, alcohol consumption, and emotional stress.  On examination, there is significant pressure pain in the paracervical vertebrae below the ear and behind the inframammary region. Those with longer duration of disease may have pressure pain points in the posterior part of the neck, D, top, and occipital region. In some patients, the local sensation of touch and pins and needles is diminished, and some patients have decreased sensation of smell, taste and tongue and cheek on the affected side. x-ray examination shows degenerative changes in the cervical spine to varying degrees, some of which include narrowing of the cervical intervertebral foramen, hyperplasia of the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body, or widening and thickening of the spinous process and calcification of the supraspinous ligament. ct examination shows no special changes.  Treatment of cervicogenic headache: 1.General treatment; for patients with short duration and mild pain, rest, head and neck acupuncture, traction, physical therapy can be taken together with oral NSAIDs. A part of the patient’s condition can be improved. But the massage should be cautious, many patients aggravated by massage, some also occurred serious injury.  2. Injection of cervical paravertebral lesions; puncture injection of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in the 2nd cervical transverse process has good therapeutic effect on most patients with cervicogenic headache. The drug can flow into the 1st and 3rd cervical nerves and surrounding soft tissues by diffusion in the intertransverse process groove, exerting anti-inflammation, analgesia and promoting the recovery of nerve function. The efficacy is better because the drug solution is injected directly into the lesion area.  3. Cervical epidural cavity injection For those who have poor therapeutic effect through cervical paravertebral and head pressure pain point injection, most of the lesions are located in the spinal canal, and discogenic radiculitis is common, and the drug injected by paravertebral can not reach the lesion site. The cervical epidural cavity injection method can be used. For unilateral pain, puncture can be made in the spinal space of the 2nd and 3rd cervical vertebrae, and the oblique side of the needle is turned to the affected side for placement of the tube, or puncture can be made in the spinal space of the 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae, and the tube is placed on the cephalic side for drug injection treatment.  4, surgical treatment; by a variety of non-surgical treatment is also ineffective, most of the bony abnormalities in the spinal canal changes in the nerve root compression, should be considered surgical live treatment. For patients with contraindications to surgery, or greater risk of surgery, with the consent of the patient, cervical nerve ethanol block can be used, treatment should be carried out under the guidance of X-ray fluoroscopy. Radiofrequency thermocoagulation to destroy the posterior branch of the cervical nerve may also be used for treatment.