Die Kopfgelenke und ihre besondere Bedeutung beim Kopfschmerz

The so-called head joints consist of the segments occiput/C1, C1/C2, C2/C3. The existence of cervicogenic headaches is not fully accepted by the different medical schools. Morphological alterations in the upper cervical spine are seldom causes of complaints, similar to X-ray diagnosed anomalies of the position of the joints in the upper spine. The vertebrogenic headaches (upper cervical syndrome, cervicocephalic syndrome, cervicocranial syndrome) are discussed as to anamnesis, the topic of pain, and the functional findings. According to Gutmann a distinction is made between the headache caused by blockages, the headache caused by hypermobility, and the headache caused by tensed muscles. It has been criticized that headache specialists diagnose tension headaches based to a large extent on the anamnesis and not the clinical examination. The hope for medical high technology should not put a damper on clinicians’ professional skills.