Common headaches that affect two-thirds of Americans could be caused by inflammation in the neck, a study suggests.
Researchers in Germany had 50 adults aged 20 to 31, about half of whom suffered from tension headaches, undergo MRI scans to determine the cause of their pain.
They found that patients with the condition had higher levels of T2 signals in the trapezius muscles, which extend across the back of the neck and shoulders and up the neck.
These signals fire when certain muscles are activated, for example due to inflammation. These higher levels were observed on days when patients suffered from headaches and neck pain, meaning the neck muscles were activated.
This suggests that inflammation in the neck – caused by poor posture, injury and stress – may be linked to tension headaches. Until now, researchers were still baffled about the cause of tension headaches, blaming stress, genetics and the environment.
Researchers believe this finding could lead to new treatments targeting the neck as a replacement for common medications.
The researchers noted that two out of three Americans suffer from tension headaches
Dr. Nico Sollmann, lead author of the study and radiology resident at the Technical University of Munich in Germany, said: ‘Our imaging approach provides the first objective evidence for the very frequent involvement of the neck muscles in primary headaches, such as neck pain in migraine or tension headache. -type headache, which takes advantage of the ability to quantify subtle inflammation in the muscles.’
The researchers evaluated 50 adults aged 20 to 31 years. Most participants were women. Of the 50, 16 had tension headaches and 12 suffered from tension headaches plus migraine episodes. The remaining 22 were placed in a healthy control group.
All participants underwent MRI scans of their trapezius muscles to view their T2 levels. The researchers found that on days when participants suffered from headaches and neck pain, they had higher T2 levels, indicating that those muscles were activated due to inflammation.
Participants with tension headaches and migraine episodes had the highest T2 levels.
“The quantified inflammatory changes of the neck muscles significantly correlate with the number of days lived with headaches and the presence of subjectively perceived neck pain,” said Dr. Sollmann.
Tension headaches occur when the neck and scalp muscles tense or contract. It usually causes mild to moderate pain that is often described as feeling like a band is tightening around the head.
The pain can also be dull or aching and result in tenderness in the neck, scalp and shoulders.
The researchers noted that two out of three Americans suffer from tension headaches.
Most of them have episodic tension headaches, lasting from 30 minutes to a week.
Other patients may have chronic tension headaches, occurring 15 or more days per month for at least three months, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Migraine is a form of headache that causes severe, throbbing pain or throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head. These can last for hours or even days.
The American Migraine Foundation estimates that one in ten Americans – 39 million – live with migraines. About 28 million of these are women and girls, as women are at least three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men.
Some research suggests that reduced estrogen levels, which usually happen when a woman has her period, may be to blame.
Symptoms vary, but migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light.
The researchers noted that the findings could lead to targeted treatments aimed at reducing neck inflammation, which could eliminate the need for prescription headache medications.
“Our findings support the role of neck muscles in the pathophysiology of primary headaches,” said Dr. Sollmann. ‘Therefore, treatments that target the neck muscles could lead to simultaneous relief of neck pain and headaches.’
The research was presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.