What Causes Neck Pain and Headaches?
Other than chemical imbalances in the brain, there are several other causes of headaches which relate directly to the musculoskeletal system. This system of the body relates to the bones of the skeleton and the muscles which move those bones. We can start with the joints of the spine. There are many people who believe they have a “pinched nerve”. In a person’s mind the nerve is being compressed in a manner similar to ringing water out of a washcloth. In reality, more pain is experienced from joint dysfunction between the individual spinal segments or vertebrae. The joints where the spine joins together are filled with sensitive nerve fibers and pain receptors, called nociceptors. When these joints, called facets, become dysfunctional they can cause a lot of pain in the head and neck depending on which vertebrae have become dysfunctional. Pain will also cause an inflammatory reaction which can further irritate the nerve root and surrounding muscles. Many times, the facets become injured
