Headaches Treatment Clinic in Rapid City, SD

Headaches are often caused by pain that occurs in your cervical spine or neck region and are called cervicogenic headaches. Various conditions can affect your cervical spine and trigger cervicogenic headache pain.

These conditions include: 

• Injury: Any injury or trauma to the neck can cause a cervical headache. It may be caused by whiplash, such as from a car accident, or from repetitive stress injuries that occur over time.
• Tension in the neck from poor posture can also cause a headache.
• Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis of the neck is most common in people older than 50. It occurs when the cartilage wears away from the joints over time, causing inflammation in the joints and surrounding tissues.
• Tumors, cysts and other lesions in the neck may result in chronic headaches. 
• Bulging disc: Bulging discs are common in people younger than 40 years old. In these cases, discs bulge out of place, irritating the nerves that run through them. The irritation can lead to intense pain or numbness in one area of your body.

Some of the common symptoms of a cervical headache would likely be intense, throbbing pain that is usually off to one side of your head over another. Other symptoms may include: 

• Blurry vision
• Stiff neck
• Pain in the eyes
• Light sensitivity
• Worsened pain with sudden movements (e.g. coughing or sneezing)
• Nausea or vomiting due to intense pain

To be diagnosed with a cervicogenic headache, Dr. Ptacek or Dr. Doeden will ask you questions about the location and intensity of your pain. You may also be asked to describe any triggers, like moving quickly or coughing. Your doctor will perform a physical exam, looking for tender areas in your neck and head.

Treatment is largely focused on eliminating the trigger factors. Depending on the type and severity of the pain that you are experiencing, your doctor will likely recommend a combination of treatments specific to your specific condition, which focuses on pain relief and reducing inflammation. This can include physical therapy or massage therapy or over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen (Tylenol), Ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen sodium (Aleve). You may also use heat or cold treatments to relax tense muscles.

In some cases, the head pain can be debilitating. In these cases, Dr. Ptacek or Dr. Doeden may suggest a couple of different treatment options to relieve this debilitating pain which include:

• Nerve blocks deliver an anesthetic and a steroid that reduces inflammation in the injured part of the spine
• Minimally invasive decompression procedure to relieve the pressure on your nerves that triggers headache pain
• Spinal cord stimulation includes a small implantable device that calms the nerves that are causing neck or head pain

 If you’re experiencing headaches, visit the Interventional Pain Clinic today to learn more about your treatment options. For more information, contact us to book an appointment, We are conveniently located at 101 E Minnesota St. Rapid City, SD 57701. We serve patients from Rapid City SD, Rapid Valley SD, Black Hawk SD, Box Elder SD, and surrounding areas.