If you get headaches that start from a stiff or sore neck, you know how frustrating it can be to find lasting relief. A new, small study suggests a specific add-on to physical therapy might help. Researchers had 38 adults with these 'cervicogenic' headaches do either standard physical therapy or that same therapy plus a special training exercise. The extra exercise focused on recognizing gaze direction to improve body awareness and balance.
After eight weeks, the group doing the combined approach saw greater improvements. Their headaches happened less often and didn't last as long. They also showed better postural balance, measured by how steadily they could stand. The study was designed to test cause and effect, so the added training likely contributed to these extra benefits.
It's important to keep a few things in mind. This was a small study with only 38 people, all between 35 and 49 years old. The researchers didn't report how much the headache frequency or duration dropped in plain numbers, so we don't know the exact size of the benefit for a typical person. They also didn't track the participants afterward to see if the improvements lasted, and they didn't report on safety or if anyone had trouble with the exercises. While the results are encouraging, they're a first step from a single trial.
