When you think about a pinched nerve, the first thing that comes to mind might be an arm or leg that feels numb or painful- and you’d be right that these are common ways the condition manifests. However, the nervous system impacts your whole body, and there are other signs of pinched nerves you may not realize are related. Headaches and migraines are often connected to back and neck problems, including pinched nerves, especially when they are chronic. If you are experiencing headaches, don’t brush them off as normal. Find a specialist who can determine the root cause of your headaches, including whether or not a pinched nerve could be involved.
How Your Spine Can Cause Headaches
Understanding the relationship of your spine to other parts of the body, including the nervous system, is the first step in understanding how a pinched nerve can result in headaches.
Your spine begins at the bottom of your brainstem and stretches down to your pelvic area, but it is divided into three primary sections.
The upper portion of the spine, the cervical spine, begins at the bottom of your brain stem and past your shoulders. This area contains something called the trigeminocervical nucleus- an area where sensory nerve fibers, which stem from the trigeminal nerve and the upper spinal nerve, converge. The trigeminal nerve is responsible for pain sensation in the face, including the top of the head, forehead, eye, and temples- all the areas most likely to experience headache pain.
When a pain sensation is sensed by the upper cervical spine nerves, it is transferred to the trigeminal nerve fibers in the trigeminocervical nucleus, leading to pain in various regions of the head. This can occur as a response to several factors, such as injuries, degenerative conditions, or tumors.
A headache that is caused by issues in the upper spine is known as a cervicogenic headache.
What Is a Pinched Nerve?
Nerves are fibers that send messages between your brain and all the other parts of your body. They travel along pathways in order to transmit signals, and when the nerve or pathway is damaged, they cannot effectively communicate, causing a range of issues. One way that this communication can be disrupted is when the nerve is compressed in some way.
A common place for compression to occur is where a nerve branches off of the spinal cord, often in response to a ruptured disc or other tissues pressing on the nerve. When this occurs in the cervical spine, it is known as cervical radiculopathy and can cause pain throughout the shoulder, arm, and upper back, as well as weakness, tingling, or numbness. This is often similar to the feeling of your foot or hand “falling asleep” after you have been in one position for too long and will usually only impact one side of your body.
Cervicogenic Headaches
In addition to shoulder, arm, and upper back pain, a pinched nerve in the neck can often cause headaches. These may appear on only one side of your body and can include pain that spreads from the back of your skull to your shoulder blades, forehead, brow, or eye. Symptoms of a cervicogenic headache can mimic migraines, but the source of the pain, in this case, is the neck and not the brain. Rather than sensory input triggering symptoms, turning your neck or staying in one position for a long time may be the triggers.
Cervicogenic headaches can come and go, lasting anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks at a time. Additional signs that a pinched nerve is to blame include the following:
- Muscle spasms
- Pain when moving the neck
- Same-side shoulder and arm pain, tingling, or numbness
- A loss of strength, sensation, or coordination
In most cases, symptoms resolve on their own as inflammation and muscle spasms resolve and relieve pressure on the nerve. But if a more serious issue, like a ruptured disc, is at play, the problem will likely recur.
While anyone can pinch a nerve in their neck, it is most common in people who smoke cigarettes, have pinched a nerve prior, lift heavy objects, drive equipment that vibrates, play golf, or often jump off diving boards.
Causes of Pinched Nerves
A pinched nerve may be the root cause of your headaches, but it is important to find the root cause of the pinched nerve and treat that issue in order to prevent future symptoms.
Trauma and Injuries
The fastest way to pinch a nerve is for the upper cervical spine to shift suddenly out of alignment. This often happens in response to trauma like a car accident or any other injury. Even something as simple as lifting a heavy box incorrectly or pulling and twisting your body in an unnatural way can cause these issues.
Wear and Tear
As we age, the spine suffers from wear and tear, particularly the discs. These small, gel-like discs sit between each vertebra (the bones that stack to make up the spine) in order to absorb shock and prevent bone from rubbing against itself during movements. Over time, these spinal discs lose water content and flatten, as well as become more fragile with age. The vertebrae then move closer together, while the disc material may degenerate or spread to the surrounding spinal canal and compress nerves.
Arthritis
The most common disorder that can lead to a pinched nerve is rheumatoid arthritis, a form of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation in the joints. The swelling can pressure nearby nerves.
Lifestyle
Any tasks that require repetitive motions, like typing on a keyboard or chopping vegetables in a kitchen, can cause stress on the wrist and hand, which causes carpal tunnel syndrome. This tendon inflammation pressures the median nerve in your arm.
People who work in places where they often lift heavy objects, drive vibrating vehicles, or are physically exerting themselves may also be at higher risk of a pinched nerve through trauma. Certain athletes are also at this higher risk.
Poor Posture
While you may think of posture as standing up straight, there is more to it, and it usually relates to sitting. Slouching over a desk, leaning down to look at a phone, and other sedentary activities very commonly contribute to poor posture. When the head is not positioned directly above the shoulders, there is a huge amount of stress placed on the neck, which can cause misalignments and, ultimately, nerve issues.
Sleep Problems
Anything from sleeping in an odd position to using pillows of poor quality can lead to neck problems. Stomach sleeping is the most stressful position for your neck, and pillows should offer enough support for your position. Back sleepers may require less support than those who sleep on their side or stomach, though the neck and spine should still always be in a neutral position.
Diagnosing a Pinched Nerve
While pinched nerves may resolve themselves at home with rest and gentle pain management, it can be important to visit a healthcare provider to rule out any serious causes or to address conditions that will cause the problem to recur. You’ll share with this provider what symptoms you are experiencing, along with some medical history and information about your lifestyle and activities.
They will likely also perform physical exams of your neck, arms, shoulders, wrists, and hands. This is to look for muscle weakness and assess changes in reflexes, as well as to ask about the sensations you feel when they apply pressure to certain nerves. With this information, they can begin to make assumptions about what nerves are impacted and what the cause may be.
A pinched nerve itself will not show up on diagnostic scans. However, they may be helpful in understanding the state of your spine and other causes of the compression. You may undergo one or more of the following imaging tests:
- X-ray: Looking at the bones can help to identify the narrowing and changing alignment of the spinal cord or any fractures that have occurred.
- CT Scan: A computed tomography scan creates three-dimensional images, offering more detail of the spine than an x-ray.
- MRI: A magnetic resonance imaging machine will be able to show damage to soft tissue that may be causing nerve compression, as well as highlight any damage to the spinal cord.
- Electromyography (EMG): An EMG measures electrical impulses of the nerves and is used alongside nerve conduction studies to assess if the nerves are working normally. This can help a provider determine if nerve damage is being caused by pressure or another condition, like diabetes.
Treatment for Pinched Nerves
If you’re dealing with a trapped nerve in the neck that is causing headaches, several treatment options can help relieve your pain and discomfort. The initial approach usually involves non-invasive treatments to ease the pressure on the nerve. Here are some common methods to help with a pinched nerve headache:
- Rest and Time: Giving your body time to heal is often the first step. Taking a break from strenuous activities for a few days or weeks can help to reduce inflammation and relieve your pain from the pinched nerve.
- Ice and Heat Therapy: Applying ice can help to reduce swelling, while heat helps to soothe muscle spasms and pain. Try alternating between ice and heat for about 20 minutes at a time throughout the day to help manage your headaches caused by a pinched nerve.
- Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers: Medications like acetaminophen or NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can offer some relief from pain and inflammation associated with a pinched nerve headache.
- Splints and Neck Collars: If you’re dealing with a pinched nerve in your neck, wearing a soft collar can help limit motion, which gives the nerve time to heal and helps reduce irritation that may trigger headaches.
- Corticosteroid Injections: If over-the-counter pain relievers don’t work, your doctor may prescribe stronger anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroids that can come as either an injection or in pill form.
- Physical Therapy: Work with a physical therapist and go through gentle stretches and exercises that aim to relieve pressure on a pinched nerve. This treatment option can help improve your mobility and prevent future headaches caused by nerve compression.
Surgery as a Last Resort
If non-invasive treatments don’t provide lasting relief, your doctor may recommend surgery to address a pinched nerve. Some common procedures include:
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF): Surgeons remove a disc or bone spurs that are compressing the nerve and stabilize the spine by fusing vertebrae, which reduces pressure on the nerve.
- Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR): A damaged disc is replaced with an artificial one to help maintain spinal flexibility and relieve nerve compression.
- Posterior Cervical Laminoforaminotomy: This procedure involves removing part of the bone and any tissue or bone spurs that may also be pressing on the nerve.
Recovery from these surgeries typically takes a few weeks, with full activity resuming in three to four months, which is why doctors typically recommend alternate options at first to help with headache pinched nerve relief.
Seeking Care for Headaches Caused by Pinched Nerves
If you’re dealing with chronic headaches because of a pinched nerve, it’s important to get a thorough medical evaluation. At AICA Conyers, we’re here to give you the answers to all your questions, including “Can a pinched nerve cause headaches?” Our team of doctors includes chiropractors, physical therapists, orthopedic doctors and surgeons, neurologists, and more, who all work together to address pinched nerves and related conditions. We will design a personalized treatment plan specifically to help relieve your pain and get you back to a headache-free life. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!