Balance Impairment in Patients With Cervicogenic Headache: A Narrative Review

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

1 Department of Physical Therapy for Neurology & Neurosurgery, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt.

2 Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt.

3 Department of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, Suez Canal University, Egypt.

Abstract

Background: A cervicogenic headache (CGH) presents as unilateral pain that starts in the neck and is referred from bony structures or soft tissues of the neck. In patients with cervicogenic headache, balance alterations may be associated with peripheral mechanisms, specifically altered neck proprioceptive afferents stemming from a high density of mechanoreceptors that connect centrally and reflexively to the visual, vestibular, and central nervous systems.
Purpose: This review was conducted to through light on balance impairment in patients with cervicogenic headache.
Methods: A comprehensive search of Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar was conducted using keywords such as cervicogenic headache, postural control and sensorimotor control. Articles published from January 2017 to the date of launch and only English language articles were included, while oral presentations, conference papers, unpublished articles, and abstracts from smaller scientific investigations were excluded.
Conclusions: Balance impairment is associated with cervicogenic headache due to altered cervical proprioception and sensorimotor dysfunction, according to the reviewed literature. People with these deficits may have balance issues and fall more often. This emphasizes the importance of postural assessments and targeted rehabilitation strategies like proprioceptive training and vestibular rehabilitation for patients with cervicogenic headache.

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