Clinical, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics of patients with cervicogenic headache: comparison with an age- and sex-matched group of individuals with migraine.

IF 8.7 1区医学 Q1 CLINICAL NEUROLOGY

Journal of Headache and Pain Pub Date : 2026-05-22 DOI:10.1186/s10194-026-02401-3

Magdalena Nowaczewska, Sara Kierońska-Siwak, Marcin Straburzyński, Marta Waliszewska-Prosół, Anna Gryglas-Dworak

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Cervicogenic headache (CEH) can be frequently misdiagnosed as migraine. This study aimed to compare clinical, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics of patients with CEH and individuals with migraine.

Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional study included 112 patients with CEH and 112 age- and sex-matched individuals with migraine consulted at a single headache center in 2022-2026. The analysis involved clinical and demographic characteristics, and lifestyle factors, among them dominant sleep posture.

Results: Compared with individuals with migraine, patients with CEH were diagnosed with headache at an older age (36.27±11.95 vs. 22.62±11.13 years, p < 0.001), had shorter duration of disease (4.08±5.40 vs. 17.74±11.60 years, p < 0.001), more often reported neck pain, also occurring independently of headache (76.92% vs. 39.56%, p < 0.001), more frequently presented with greater occipital nerve (GON) sensitivity to palpation (85.44% vs. 30.21%, p < 0.001) and vitamin B12 deficiency (56.86% vs. 9.38%, p < 0.001). The CEH group contained a larger proportion of active smokers (43.75% vs. 10.71%, p < 0.001) and belly (prone) sleepers (40.18% vs. 14.29%, p < 0.001) than the migraine group. A multivariate regression analysis identified belly sleeping (OR = 11.10, p = 0.006), smoking (OR = 22.61, p = 0.005), and vitamin B12 deficiency (OR = 8.58, p = 0.005) as independent determinants of CEH.

Conclusions: CEH differs from migraine in terms of selected clinical, demographic, and lifestyle characteristics. Neck pain independent of headache, GON sensitivity to palpation, older age at the onset of headache, and shorter time elapsed from the first manifestation to referral might be diagnostic prompts in suspected CEH. Belly sleeping, vitamin B12 deficiency, and smoking appear as independent determinants of CEH and might be considered in the prevention and management of this condition.

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宫颈源性头痛患者的临床、人口统计学和生活方式特征：与年龄和性别匹配的偏头痛患者组的比较

背景：宫颈源性头痛（CEH）常被误诊为偏头痛。本研究旨在比较CEH患者和偏头痛患者的临床、人口统计学和生活方式特征。方法：回顾性横断面研究包括112例CEH患者和112例年龄和性别匹配的偏头痛患者，于2022-2026年在一个头痛中心就诊。该分析涉及临床和人口统计学特征，以及生活方式因素，其中包括主要的睡眠姿势。结果：与偏头痛患者相比，CEH患者被诊断为头痛的年龄更大（36.27±11.95岁vs 22.62±11.13岁）。结论：CEH与偏头痛在选择的临床、人口统计学和生活方式特征方面存在差异。独立于头痛的颈部疼痛、肾上腺素对触诊的敏感性、头痛发病时的年龄较大、从首次表现到转诊的时间较短，可能是疑似CEH的诊断提示。腹部睡眠、维生素B12缺乏和吸烟似乎是CEH的独立决定因素，可能被认为是这种情况的预防和管理。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Headache and Pain 医学-临床神经学

CiteScore

11.80

自引率

13.50%

发文量

143

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： The Journal of Headache and Pain, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published under the BMC brand, a part of Springer Nature, is dedicated to researchers engaged in all facets of headache and related pain syndromes. It encompasses epidemiology, public health, basic science, translational medicine, clinical trials, and real-world data. With a multidisciplinary approach, The Journal of Headache and Pain addresses headache medicine and related pain syndromes across all medical disciplines. It particularly encourages submissions in clinical, translational, and basic science fields, focusing on pain management, genetics, neurology, and internal medicine. The journal publishes research articles, reviews, letters to the Editor, as well as consensus articles and guidelines, aimed at promoting best practices in managing patients with headaches and related pain.