title: [Headache of cervical origin. Critical study (author's transl)].
abstract: When confronted to an occipito-cervical headache too often cervical etiology is proposed. Several cervical mechanisms are however possible: 1) neuralgic mechanism for the three first cervical segments. Any vertebral or intra-spinal lesion may affect the first three posterior roots; 2) muscular mechanism affecting cranio-cervical muscles: role of posture; spinal unbalance; traumatic or acute rheumatic discovertebral lesion; 3) vascular (arterial) mechanism, much more unfrequent like vertebro-basilar insufficiency. The role of vegetative (sympathetic) system is practically inexistant. So cervicarthrose play no role when there is no arthro-muscular involvement with painful limitation of cervical movements. But the most important causes of posterior cephalalgia are not of cervical intracranial origin: they are tumours of posterior fossa; high blood pressure, and above all tension headache of psychic origin.
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D009333:Neck; D009334:Neck Muscles; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000150:complications; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications
vernacular_title: Etude critique des céphalées d'origine cervicale.