Does neck pain cause headaches? It can cause a certain type known as cervicogenic headache. What's that? Just a fancy medical term for a "pain in the neck" that causes headache. Many people experience this when they have a minor car accident and this results in neck strain.

Sometimes it occurs when you might have lifted something heavy. You strain the muscles in your neck and if they don't heal quickly, the continuing spasms can cause headaches. There are over 20 muscles in the neck that can refer pain up to the head. No wonder it hurts!

Herniated discs in the neck can also cause spasms and result in cervicogenic headaches and migraines. In patients who already have migraine, this can provoke more migraines. The pain will start at the base of the skull and cascade forward to the front. By the time it hits the temples, a migraine starts.

OK you say, now how do I get rid of this?

Several methods have shown to be effective for this type of headache and some are medication, some are lifestyle.

1. Physical therapy. This is best attempted after an anti-spasmotic medication is on board, but once done properly can really help with neck pain.

2. Medication. In this case there are a great variety of anti-spasmotics that can help cervicogenic headache. Some like Elavil for cervicogenic headache can ease spasms and help you get to sleep. Ask your health care provider if this might be best for your needs.

3. Pillows. Surprise! This really has an effect on neck pain and many people just don't consider it that important. I recommend using only one pillow at night. More than one will cause the neck to be in abnormal positions during sleep, and then create more spasms and pain. Find one that best suits you and supports the neck.

4. Chiropractic care. This may really help you once severe spasms are under control. Like physical therapy, do not attempt this until some anti-spasmotics are on board as you may get worse.

5. Trigger point injections. Trigger point injections are small amounts of a numbing agent with a little steroid mixed in. They are placed at the pain points along the muscles of the neck. They are also known as headache pressure points. When pressed, if the muscle is in spasm, trigger points hurt! Injections will help calm the pain down.

6. Stretching exercises. These will be given to you by the physical therapist and can only really help if you do them daily for awhile. Do not stretch to the point of pain!

Dorn Spinal Therapy was developed by a gentleman by the name of Dieter Dorn in Germany in the 1970's. Mr. Dorn, a farmer, had no medical training and sought out treatment for relief of his long term back pain. He had the fortune to meet a healer who performed a gentle procedure on him that eased his pain by helping vertebrae and joints sliding back into proper alignment. He then decided to learn the technique himself, help friends and family suffering from bad backs, and eventually teach it to others. Only slowly but steadily this new treatment approach is taking on its journey outside of the European border into Australia, the United States and Asia. Unless you keep up on all of the latest alternative treatement news, this is probably the first time you are hearing about it.

As most of the literature on Dorn Spinal Therapy is in various European languages, it has taken a while to get the information translated and distributed to English speaking countries. The Internet gets most of the credit for the increasing awareness of this exciting procedure now. This treatment can offer relief to anyone suffering the effects of a dysfunctional alignment in their spine. Studies have shown that these dysfunctions can cause restricted movement, pain, headaches, tinnititus and other ailments. If you suffer from back or neck pain, you know what it means to have restricted movement and just what a negative effect it can have on your quality of life. Chiropractic treatments are the most popular form of treatment for back pain in the USA, Australia and UK, but it has its drawbacks as many back pain sufferers might have experienced. Within the medical establishment in the United States and most developed countries, alternative treatments for back problems do not get the respect they deserve and therefore those of us wanting natural treatments must seek them out or find a knowledgeable practitioner to guide us. There are hardly any chiropractors making us aware of a different treatment that they do not provide.

With chiropractic treatments vertebrae are forced into place, while the Dorn technique encourages alignment using the natural movements of the patient. For example, if you are suffering from lower back pain, the practitioner would instruct you to swing one of your legs and at the same time he or she would use light pressure to push the vertebrae into alignment. Having the patient use a muscle at the time pressure is applied makes this method extremely safe because when the muscle is engaged it will not allow the vertebrae to move too far. Will Dorn Spinal Therapy help you? There is only one way to find out.

Whether you are seeking relief from lower back pain, neck pain or even stress relief, Dorn Spinal Therapy is one treatment you should look into. This gentle, natural treatment leaves most patients pain free within only three treatments. And even if you have been told you need back surgery because there is nothing that can help you, you might want to think again and look for a Dorn practitioner to give this treatment a go before undergoing final surgery. You would not be the first one to be spared from surgery and live a happy, painfree life after discovering the power of this treatment.