Botulinum Toxin Injection in Neck Muscles in Cervicogenic Headache
Botulinum Toxin Injection in Neck Muscles in Cervicogenic Headache
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect and side-effects of injections with
 botulinum toxin in neck muscles in cervicogenic headache compared to injections with sodium
 water.
Cervicogenic headache is a unilateral headache stemming from the neck. Usually, there are no
 pathological findings on x-ray or MRI of the neck. It is supposed that pain may stem from
 various structures in the upper part of the cervical spine. Regardless of the source, it is
 often believed that the neck muscles may be involved in the pain generation, either primarily
 or secondarily.

 Treatment of cervicogenic headache is often difficult. The effect of drugs is usually
 limited. Various surgical techniques such as radiofrequency generation of the facet joints in
 the neck have been tried, but with little success (4).

 Botulinum toxin injection in muscles have for several years been used in conditions with
 pathologically increased muscle activity, such as spasticity and dystonias. Gradually, it has
 also been used in many pain conditions, among them headaches. One case history (5) and a
 randomized placebo controlled, double-blind study (6), have shown effect in cervicogenic
 headache. The latter study had some methodological weaknesses, since it was small, only 26
 patients, and the placebo group had prior to treatment only half as much pain as the group
 receiving botulinum toxin treatment. In addition, pain was not registered daily, but only
 before (prior) treatment and after 3 or 4 weeks. A review considers the documentation on
 treatment with botulinum toxin in idiopathic and cervicogenic headaches to be inconclusive
 (7).

 In our Department, we have tried this treatment on a few patients with typical cervicogenic
 headache with excellent effect and without side-effects. Therefore, it would be of
 considerable interest to perform a larger study with good scientific quality and a higher
 statistical power than the above-mentioned one.

 As the basis for our study we would adopt a conservative hypothesis (H0): Botox injections in
 cervical muscles is not superior to placebo in alleviating pain in unilateral cervicogenic
 headache.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Headache strictly unilateral without side-shift

 -  Traits indicating involvement of neck structures, fulfilling at least 2 of the
 following:

 I. Reduced neck range of motion II. Typical headache can be elicited by palpation or
 pressure on muscles of the occiput or in the neck.

 III. Typical headache can be precipitated by certain neck movements or by adopting a
 certain position of the head.

 IV. There is a radiation of pain to the ipsilateral shoulder or arm.

 -  Positive effect of blockades. (In this study only a blockade of the greater occipital
 nerve will be applied).

 -  The condition has lasted for more than 1 year.

 -  The headache should be present more than 15 days a month, and the frequency should be
 based on a headache diary filled in the last month before inclusion.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Cervical spinal stenosis, cervical disc herniation, or other neck pathology that
 should be treated surgically.

 -  Malignant disorder.

 -  Rheumatic disorder or other disorders which induces analgesic use.

 -  other clinically relevant disease (liver, kidney, endocrinological, metabolical,
 systemic, psychiatric).

 -  Frequent other headache type that cannot be distinguished from cervicogenic headache.

 -  Pending or ongoing litigation for head- or neck trauma.