Neck Pain and Headaches: When to be Concerned
Nearly 45 million Americans are impacted by headaches each year. For many of these people, over-the-counter solutions are not enough. Annually, 18 million people have to seek medical treatment for headaches. Often, these headaches can be felt down into the neck, and actually may seem as if the headache is coming from the neck area. But how do you know when something that requires more than Advil is going on? Here is a look at when to be concerned about your combination of headaches and neck pain.
Headache Concerns
Sometimes you might need to go to the doctor for your headache regardless of whether or not there’s neck pain associated with it. If you’ve been having at least one headache a week, with or without neck pain, it might be time to see the neurologist. At four headaches a week, you become more likely to develop migraines.
Neuralgia
Cranial and occipital neuralgias are headaches brought on by an underlying cause. The occipital nerves running to the top of the scalp become inflamed, generally through injury. These types of headaches are not fatal, but they can be long-term and difficult to diagnose. Although you don’t need to be concerned for your life, you should seek medical care to find treatment options that will keep these headaches in check. When a nerve is inflamed or compressed, this can render permanent damage leading to chronic pain.
Tumors
Headaches can be associated with brain tumors. Additionally, a tumor in the spine can cause pain in the spinal cord at the site of the tumor. Thus, it is possible that neck pain and headaches are linked to the presence of one or more tumors. You should see your doctor immediately if you’ve noticed a change in the presentation of the headaches, dizziness, a stiff neck, changes in senses, neurological issues, or increasing frequency and intensity of headaches or neck pain.
When Not to be Concerned
Stress is a common culprit of headaches and neck pain. Everyone carries their stress differently, which means you might have both neck pain and headaches, or you may only experience one or the other. If you’ve been getting frequent head and neck pain, pay attention to your surroundings before you start getting worried. Stress headaches usually present as “tension headaches”, which are generally characterized by a dull ache on either side of the head and a tight pain in the neck, possibly into the shoulders.
Contraction of nearby muscles may also cause tension headaches. These generally resolve on their own, but can be helped by at home treatments and learning to relax. However, if these headaches start getting worse or more frequent, it might be a good idea to visit your primary care physician to make sure their isn’t something more serious going on.
