Could your neck be contributing to your headaches or migraine?
The Watson Headache Approach is a specific, non manipulative method of assessing the upper cervical spine in people with headache and migraine.
We use it as part of a broader headache assessment to help determine whether cervical findings appear relevant to your particular symptoms.
What is the Watson Headache Approach?
Developed by Dean Watson, the Watson Headache Approach focuses on assessment of the upper cervical spine in people experiencing headache and migraine.
During the examination, gentle sustained pressure is applied to specific upper cervical segments while your practitioner observes whether this changes or reproduces aspects of your familiar headache.
These findings are considered alongside your headache history and the rest of your clinical examination.
The approach is non manipulative.
It does not involve high velocity neck manipulation or neck cracking.
Assessment and treatment use controlled, sustained pressure directed to the upper cervical spine.
We start by working out whether the neck is actually relevant.
Having migraine or neck pain does not automatically mean the cervical spine is driving your symptoms. The purpose of the assessment is to look for a meaningful relationship.
We understand the pattern
We start with your headache history, symptoms, previous treatment and what tends to aggravate or relieve your headaches.
We assess the upper cervical spine
Specific cervical segments are examined to see whether findings correspond with your familiar headache presentation.
We explain what we found
We discuss whether the neck appears clinically relevant and what, if anything, we recommend doing next.
The Watson assessment is one part of headache care.
Recurrent headache
Particularly when headaches occur alongside neck stiffness, restricted movement or symptoms around the upper neck and base of the skull.
Migraine with neck symptoms
Neck symptoms are common in migraine. Assessment can help determine whether cervical findings appear relevant rather than assuming they are the cause.
Headache after head or neck injury
Following concussion, whiplash or another injury, cervical assessment may form part of understanding an ongoing headache presentation.
If the cervical assessment does not appear relevant to your symptoms, we will tell you. We can then discuss whether another headache pathway, medical review or different form of care may be more appropriate.
Headache care with Cliff and Pete.
Cliff Butler
Cliff has more than 20 years of clinical experience and is trained in the Watson Headache Approach, with a particular focus on headache, migraine and concussion.
Pete Vlahos
Pete is trained in the Watson Headache Approach and has a strong clinical interest in headache and migraine, including the experience of migraine from a patient perspective.
If you are wondering whether your neck is contributing, start with an assessment.
We'll look at your headache pattern, assess the cervical spine where relevant and explain what we think the findings mean for you.