What is the difference between migraine and cervicogenic headache?
Short answer
Migraine is a neurological condition with sensory, visual, vestibular, and autonomic features. Cervicogenic headache originates from structures in the neck. The two often overlap, and one can trigger or amplify the other.
More detail
Cervicogenic headaches are typically reproducible with specific neck movements or examination findings and often stay on one side, radiating from the base of the skull. Migraine has broader neurological features and does not require cervical findings.
In practice, many patients have both. Careful examination usually clarifies how much of the headache pattern comes from cervical structures versus the migraine mechanism itself.
This information is educational and general in nature. It is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and it does not describe every possible cause of a symptom. Individual evaluation is required to determine what applies to any specific case.
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Migraine & Persistent Headache Care
Evaluation and individualized care for migraine, post-traumatic headache, and persistent headache patterns.
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