What are symptoms of a cervicogenic headache?

• A. Unilateral pain pattern that begins in the neck and spreads to the oculo-frontal area; moderate; palpation tenderness in the upper cervical spine causing radiation to the head; Exacerbated by neck movement or posture; Neck pain
• B. Bilateral pulsating headache with photophobia
• C. Severe neck stiffness with fever
• D. Headache only when bending over

Answer: (A)

Cervicogenic headache is driven by structures in the neck, so the head pain is referred from the cervical region rather than arising primarily in the brain. The hallmark is a unilateral head pain that starts in the neck and radiates to regions like the oculo-frontal area, often felt as a moderate intensity ache. A telling feature is tenderness on palpation of the upper cervical spine, with the headache aggravated by neck movements or sustained postures. This pattern fits because the pain is linked to cervical tissues and maneuvers that load or move the neck typically reproduce or worsen the headache. The trigeminocervical connections explain how neck-originating pain can present as head pain. In contrast, other descriptions describe different conditions—migraine is usually associated with bilateral or pulsating pain and photophobia, meningitis involves fever and severe neck stiffness, and headaches that occur only when bending over suggest a postural or other non-cervical cause.