21/03/2026
Dr Dean Watson PhD Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Thesis...
Submitted in fulfilment of requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2016 School of Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University Western Australia, investigating whether sensory input (nociceptive afferents) from the upper cervical spine (C1–C3) contributes to sensitisation of the trigeminocervical nucleus (TCN), a key pain processing centre implicated in migraine and tension-type headache (TTH).
Manual examination of upper cervical joints reproduced typical head pain in nearly all migraine and TTH patients, suggesting a cervical contribution to primary headaches. Using the nociceptive blink reflex (nBR), the research showed abnormal trigeminal pain processing in migraineurs, with repeated cervical stimulation reducing pain and normalising reflex responses, indicating that modifying cervical input can desensitise central pathways.
A further study found that chronic whiplash associated headache (CWAH) shares symptoms and central hypersensitivity features with primary headache, including photophobia, allodynia, and nBR hyperexcitability.
Collectively, the findings support the hypothesis that abnormal nociceptive signals from the upper cervical spine can sensitise the TCN and contribute to migraine, TTH, and CWAH, highlighting cervical focused therapies as a potential management strategy.
If you would like the reference to "Cervical Afferents and Primary Headache: An investigation of the potential role of cervical nociceptors in sensitising the trigeminocervical nucleus in primary headache' please comment refphd.
