By Dr. Goodman, DC, and Dr. Bradberry, DC | ReliefNow Laser Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina
Cervicogenic headache, pain that originates in the cervical spine and refers into the head, is estimated to account for 15 to 18 percent of all chronic headaches according to research in Cephalalgia. For patients in Charlotte, Pineville, Matthews, Ballantyne, and Myers Park who cycle through migraine medications and neurological referrals without lasting relief, identifying and treating the cervical structural source is often the missing piece in their evaluation.
Cervicogenic headaches do not respond reliably to migraine medications because their mechanism is structural rather than neurochemical. They originate from cervical facet joint inflammation, disc pathology, and suboccipital muscle tension, which call for structural treatment rather than neurochemical intervention.
Dr. Bradberry’s focus on head, neck, and back pain, a core part of his sports medicine work with weekend warriors and Olympic-level athletes, gives him specific clinical attention to cervicogenic presentations in both athletes and the general Charlotte population. Dr. Goodman’s neurokinetic therapy training adds competency in identifying the cervical motor control patterns that perpetuate the upper cervical dysfunction behind cervicogenic headache.
What Is Cervicogenic Headache and Why Is It So Commonly Missed?
The C1, C2, and C3 nerve roots converge with the trigeminal nucleus caudalis, the brainstem structure that processes pain from the face, scalp, and head. Irritation of upper cervical structures generates pain that presents as a headache. Cervicogenic headache is typically one-sided, begins in the neck, and radiates forward, and neck movement or sustained postures tend to provoke it. It does not respond well to migraine medications because its mechanism is musculoskeletal rather than neurochemical.
Research published in Spine documented that forward head posture, common among Charlotte’s screen-based professionals, increases effective cervical compressive load by approximately 10 pounds per inch of anterior displacement. That added load contributes to the upper cervical dysfunction that drives cervicogenic headache across a large share of the local workforce.
How Does the Regenerative Medical Laser™ Protocol Address Cervicogenic Headache?
The Regenerative Medical Laser™ protocol delivers medical-grade near-infrared laser energy to the upper cervical region, the suboccipital musculature, and the posterior cervical facet joints. Photobiomodulation of the cervical region has become a focus of clinical research into headache care. A 2021 study in the Journal of Pain Research documented improvements in headache frequency and intensity among patients with cervicogenic and tension-type headaches following photobiomodulation of the cervical region.
What Does Dr. Goodman’s Acupuncture Training Add for Headache Patients?
Dr. Goodman’s post-graduate acupuncture training adds a neuromodulatory tool suited to the headache dimension of care, drawing on a research base that examines acupuncture’s effects on both cervicogenic and tension-type headaches through modulation of descending pain inhibitory pathways. A 2016 systematic review in Medicine found that acupuncture reduced headache frequency and intensity, with effects comparable to preventive medication and without systemic side effects.
More information about the practice is available through ReliefNow Laser Charlotte’s provider page, and patient education videos can be found on the ReliefNow Nation video channel. ReliefNow Laser Charlotte is located at 4601 Park Rd, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28209, and can be reached at 704-527-7246.
About the Authors
Dr. Eric Goodman, DC, studied at UNC-Charlotte and Palmer College, with post-graduate training in neurokinetic therapy, acupuncture, laser, rehabilitation, and nutrition. Dr. Douglas Bradberry, DC, studied at the University of Florida and graduated with honors from Palmer College, holds the CCSP credential, and works in sports medicine with a focus on head, neck, and back care. Both are providers in the national ReliefNow® network, founded by Dr. Robert Hanopole, DC.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any treatment program.
