What is a Cervicogenic (Cervical) Headache?
As an executive mum juggling work and family responsibilities, headaches can be a common but debilitating part of your day. Have you experienced a headache that seems to stem from your neck? If so, you might be suffering from cervicogenic headaches. Understanding this type of headache is crucial for finding effective relief. In this blog, lets discuss cervicogenic headaches and how they can affect busy mums like you.

Our cervical spine is made up of seven vertebra that can be roughly divided into an upper and lower portion. Between every two vertebra there are nerves exiting the spine on the right and left. These nerves supply different parts of the body. When the nerves in the mid to lower cervical spine are pinched it can manifest as nerve pain (tingling numbness, burning, heaviness, pain, etc) in the arms, forearms, hand and fingers or stiffness in the shoulders. When the nerves in the upper to mid cervical spine are pinched it can manifest as cervicogenic headache

Cervicogenic headaches can be caused due to various neck issues such as  disc bulgestenosisarthritis, spinal degeneration or a simple  neck spraincervical spondylosis, trauma, whiplash injuries or even poor posture (forward head posture or improper sleeping positions) can contribute to cervicogenic headaches. 

Key Signs of Cervicogenic Headaches: 
1. Pain Originating in the Neck: Cervicogenic headaches typically present as a dull, achy or sharp pain or stiffness that starts in the neck and radiates to the side of the head,  TMJ or jaw joint, behind the ears, or even to the front of the head or eyes. 

2. Accompanying Neck Stiffness: These headaches are often accompanied by stiffness in the neck. If the stiffness has been present for a long time, it may only be noticeable when you touch or apply mild pressure to the neck muscles.

3. One-Sided Headache: Cervicogenic headaches are usually one-sided and do not shift from side to side. This differentiates them from tension headaches, which are often across the forehead, and migraines, which can cause pounding pain over the entire head. If the nerves are pinched on both sides of the cervical spine it can manifest as a two sided headache but these headaches tend to be independent of each other. 

4. Pain Aggravated by Neck Movements: Movements of the neck can aggravate the pain, while pain relief modalities applied to the neck muscles often decrease the headache. Additionally, there may be a loss of range in certain neck movements, a characteristic not seen in other types of headaches.

5. Associated Symptoms: Cervicogenic headaches can be accompanied by double vision, fainting, nausea, and vomiting. While these symptoms are similar to those of migraines, cervicogenic headaches typically lack the light sensitivity that is common with migraines.




Get the course on "Simple Solutions to Manage your Cervicogenic Headache" HERE.  This course offers practical, easy-to-implement proven strategies that actually work and have helped countless people to  overcome their pain, regain energy, and fully engage with their families and careers.

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MEET SWATI

 
Hi there! 
I am Swati, an Executive Mum Power Coach and a Certified Posture Expert. I use my proven system to help mums of younger kids working in high-stress executive jobs manage their back, neck, and nerve pains, despite low energy levels and brain fog. I do all this without taking away a big chunk of their time out of their already busy day. This enables them to be more productive and capable professionals at work and guilt-free mums who can focus on their kids instead of always being distracted by pain. 



My passion for helping executive mums stems from my own experiences. I have been in the same boat and understand the frustration and helplessness of being in constant pain or being afraid to engage in activities due to the fear of pain. After two pregnancies in the span of three years and juggling my two kids, housework, and a demanding job, I was constantly in pain. The weight gain from motherhood added extra stress to my already overburdened spine and joints. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of weight loss and spinal/nerve pain that I just couldn’t break free from.

On top of the physical pain, I also suffered from adrenal fatigue. I often felt exhausted, waking up groggy even after a full night’s (10 to 12 plus hours!) sleep, and struggled with low energy levels and brain fog. Simple tasks became challenging, and I found myself forgetting things and unable to think clearly. It was incredibly frustrating and made it even harder to balance my professional responsibilities and family life.

My work involved long hours of standing during the day, prolonged hours on the laptop in the evening, and lots of running around and rocking my kids to sleep in between. Despite my knowledge and expertise in pain relief, I still found myself unable to escape the constant daily pain and fatigue.

Sitting at a desk job from 9 to 5, or longer, plus endless meetings that seem to go on forever. The frequent traveling, the uncomfortable hotel pillows that make it impossible to get a good night’s sleep—I’ve experienced it all. I remember not being able to share my discomfort at work because I felt like an imposter, talking about pain relief strategies and focusing on work while I was not able to achieve it myself. I didn’t disclose the extent of my pain and forgetfulness to my colleagues for years. Even though I loved my kids and my job, I couldn’t give 100% to either. The discomfort held me back from reaching my full potential, making me feel guilty as a mum and less productive at work. I felt like I was constantly running on empty, unable to catch a break from the pain and exhaustion.

finally got fed up after years of trying and decided to make a New Year’s resolution to get ‘healthy’ instead of focusing solely on my pain, fatigue, forgetfulness, and weight loss. When I shifted my focus to getting healthier by reducing the inflammation in my body and addressing my adrenal fatigue, the pain started to decrease, my energy levels and focus improved, and the pounds started shedding off too! That, of course, meant a happier spine, nerves, joints, and a happier me! Today, my neck, back, and nerve pain are down to zero, my knee pain has reduced by 75%, my brain fog has reduced drastically and my energy levels are higher than ever. I realized that I had been focusing on the wrong solutions for over a decade!

Now, my mission is to share my knowledge of pain relief and managing adrenal fatigue along with my personal experience with other mums, especially those with younger kids who work in high-stress executive jobs. My goal is to help you find lasting relief, boost your energy, and reclaim your life, just as I did. 

If you can relate to all this, you are not alone. As a mum, I have been there and done that—momma, I got you! I’ve helped hundreds of mums in this situation over the years find their solution to manage spinal and joint pains, low energy levels, and brain fog that hold them back. This enables them to feel confidently in control and empowers them to cultivate that confidence and productivity at work and enjoy being with their kids, to be able to run around with them without the fear of injury or pain.

Are you ready for this journey? Ask me how if you are curious.

Let's DO THIS!
xx Swati
** Executive Mum Power Coach **

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