Reinvestigation of the dysfunction in neck and shoulder girdle muscles as the reason of cervicogenic headache among office workers

Abstract

Purpose: Dysfunction of cervical and shoulder girdle muscles as reason of cervicogenic headache (CEH) was reinvestigated with clinical and neurophysiological studies.

Methods: Forty office workers were randomized into two groups to verify efficiency of supervised kinesiotherapy (N = 20) aimed with improvement of muscle’s activity and headache symptoms releasing.

Headache intensity was evaluated with visual analog scale (VAS), range of cervical movement (ROM) with goniometer, trigger points (TrPs) incidence with palpation and muscle’s strength with Lovett’s scale. Reaction of patients for muscle’s elongation was also evaluated. Surface electromyographical recordings were bilaterally analyzed at rest (rEMG) and during maximal contraction (mcEMG).

Results: Deficits of cervical flexion and muscles strength were found in all patients. TrPs occurred predominantly in painful trapezius muscle. Incidence of trigger points coexisted with intensity of CEH. Results indicated on muscles dysfunction which improved only after supervised therapy. Positive correlations between increase in rEMG amplitudes and high VAS scores, high-amplitude rEMG recordings incidence and increased number of TrPs were found. Negative correlation was detected between amplitude in mcEMG and amplitude of rEMG recordings.

Conclusions: Dysfunction of trapezius muscle was most responsible for CEH etiology. Proposed algorithm of kinesiotherapy was effective as complementary method of the CEH patients treatment.

Keywords::

• Cervicogenic headache
• neck and shoulder muscles
• rehabilitation

Declaration of Interest: The authors report no declarations of interest and no founding sources.