Using MRI, scientists have discovered the first objective evidence of a link between headaches and inflammation in tight neck muscles. Research presented at the annual meeting Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Most often, primary headaches (not caused by other diseases) occur due to tension in the neck muscles. Although it is often associated with stress, its exact causes are not fully understood.
The new study included 50 patients between the ages of 20 and 31, most of whom were women. Of these, 16 had tension-type headaches and 12 had tension-type headaches plus migraine. 22 participants did not suffer from headaches and served as a control group for comparison.
In the tension-type headache and migraine group, there were signs of inflammation and increased sensitivity in the nerve fibers in the myofascial tissues of the trapezius muscle. Moreover, the more such symptoms the patient had, the more often he had headaches and the stronger the subjective pain in the neck.
These objective signs will allow doctors to distinguish between healthy people and patients suffering from primary tension headaches. The discovery will also make it possible to measure the effectiveness of various treatment methods. This discovery also confirms that noninvasive treatment options that directly target neck muscles and trigger points can be highly effective and safer than using painkillers.
“Our results support a role for neck muscles in the pathophysiology of primary headaches. Therefore, treatments targeting neck muscles may result in simultaneous reduction of neck pain as well as headaches.” The authors concluded:
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