headaches

[kath11]

i have had bad headaces for a month which are also making me feel dizzy especially when i bend down and my neck is stiff i also am not able to concentrate and my vision somtimes goes blurred what could be causing it my doctor said it is low blood but i thik it could be somthing else

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

Causes of neck pain associated with headache are cervicogenic headache and occipital neuralgia.

Cervicogenic headache is a headache that is "referred" to the head from bony structures, muscles, and other soft tissue in the neck and shoulders. Symptoms are usually one-sided and include: precipitation of head pain by neck movement or awkward neck positions, head pain when external pressure is applied to the neck or occipital region, restricted range of motion of the neck, and neck, shoulder and arm pain. Treatment for cervicogenic headache includes physical therapy, medications, behavioral therapy, and other modalities.

Patients with dizziness due to neck pathology (cervicogenic dizziness) often complain of dizziness that is worse with particular head movements and when the head is maintained in one specific posture for prolonged periods. Neck pain and a headache in the occipital region (the back of the head above the neck) may be associated with the dizziness. The dizziness may last minutes to hours after assuming certain head positions.

Occipital neuralgia is caused by irritation or injury to two nerves that run from the upper neck to the back of the head. The irritation could be due to  neck trauma, pinching of the nerves (by muscles or arthritis), and other causes. Symptoms include a piercing sharp pain that travels from the upper neck to the back of the head and behind the ears. It is usually a one sided pain but can be on both sides of the head. Treatment includes physical therapy, medications, and in some cases injections, "nerve blocks", during which a physician injects the irritated nerves with an anesthetic.

I am not sure what you mean by the term dizziness. When some people use the term dizziness, they often mean vertigo, or room-spinning. Others mean a light-headed, whoozy feeling.

If by dizziness you mean vertigo (room-spinning), the causes could be either the inner ear or the brain. Your symptoms may be consistent with a variant of migraine called basilar migraine. Basically this is marked by several hours of vertigo associated with nausea, light-sensitivity, and sometimes other symptoms. Headache may or may not be present. The treatment is different from that used to treat other migraine types; the treatment in this case is a type of medication called calcium channel blocker, such as verapamil, which is actually used to treat blood pressure but works in type of basilar migraine as well.

There are several other causes of both vertigo and dizziness. If by dizziness you mean light-headedness (rather than room-spinning vertigo), causes could include low blood pressure such as due to dehydration or autonomic dysfunction, cardiac problems, and several other non-neurologic causes. Anemia can cause light-headedness as well.

Without further information about your headache, it is difficult to provide you with adequate information. However, it is important for you to understand that if you have not experienced headaches in the past and you are now having new head pains, seeing a neurologist is a good idea, just to make sure there is nothing serious causing this pain. Imaging of the brain and sometimes then neck may be indicated depending on your exact symptoms, your physical examination, and other factors.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.

[brent1225]

hi dr, ur comment is the only comment i have read that almost similar to my problem, i was diagnosed with multi level ddd (cervical) and mild spinal stenosis with facet hypertrophy and disc bulge in my l4,l5 . i have also los of pain in my upper back, stiff neck, shoulder pain sometimes radiates to my hands and fingers,xray results on my thoracic shows bony spurrs and osteophyte formation( this is the only spine that wasnt able to have mri due to lack of finances.. had a muscle weakness and pain in my lower back for five years now.. i also have this dizzines, lightheadedness, blurry vision, and balance problem... are my symptoms due to my back problem?? i am 38 yrs old and in good physycal condition. im also hypertensive ( dr said stress related ). all my tests were negative and normal like blood tests , kidney,etc.. please have an insights dr. it is very much appreciated. thank u..