Neck pain and associated head pain: persistent neck complaint with subsequent, transient, posterior headache

BACKGROUND: During the Vågå headache epidemiology study, there were indications that various types of work, such as carpentry and hairdressing, frequently seemed to be linked to a combination of neckache and headache. OBJECTIVES: A post hoc study was conducted among 1838, 18- to 65-year-old Vågå citizens, looking for patients with combined neck/headache. DESIGN: Face-to-face interview was conducted. RESULTS: Combined neckache and headache were detected in 121 (6.6%) individuals. The bilateral headache originated in the neck; it was mild/moderate, symptom-poor, and frequently provoked by awkward neck positions. No such headache occurred without a neckache. Headache in this group of patients resembles tractor drivers' headache, except for the provoking factor itself. CONCLUSIONS: This headache is not listed in headache classification systems/textbooks on headache. This headache must be distinguished from the unilateral cervicogenic headache proper because of the different treatment perspectives.