Dr David McGrath

Spine Physician

MB BS (Hons) FAFOM, RACP, FAFMM
Master of Pain Medicine

Many headaches originate from the neck. There is a very intricate connection between neck, middle ear and eye function. There is convergent nerve flow, into a common processing system (trigeminal nucleus). As a result, neck dysfunction can result in:

1.Balance Symptoms, such as dizziness and general unsteadiness.
2.Trouble Focusing and other eye related symptoms

Altered muscular tension,particularly at the base of the skull, leads to potential:

1. Muscle ache from prolonged high tension
2. Reduced blood flow through high activity muscles.(ischemia)
3. Disruption to nerves in the region,particularly those sensory nerves over the cranium and scalp going foward towards the ears and eyes.

After excluding headache causes, such as tumours and infections, the neck should be carefully considered as a potential cause. This is especially so, if the headache is located towards the base of the skull, going foward. This is in contrast to "tension" headaches,often perceived as a tight band across the forehead. If both are present, this program will help distinguish between the two.

This program, explores the neck joint movements in detail. As with other programs offered, the methodolgy is recursive exploration. Ordered movements are discovered and practiced, without any conscious attempt to "fix anything". The body is auto-regulating, and finds its own best equilibrium, given sufficient variety. With increased order, normal muscle tension and blood flow is restored, leading to a reduction in pain.