Sometimes, headaches can be a real pain in the neck.

Find out the most common causes (and the best treatment) for headache and neck pain.

Here it comes: the tell-tale twinge of pain and pressure that indicates a headache is imminent. But if that wasn’t bad enough, your neck has started to tense up. Now you feel the ache almost down through your shoulders. It’s enough to make you wonder why they even call it a “head” ache.

Whether you feel neck pain at the onset of your headache, or throughout the entire episode, your primary concern is making it stop. But it’s just as important to understand why you’re feeling headache and neck pain in the first place—because the best treatment depends on the cause.

In this article, we’ll go over some of the most common causes of headache and neck pain, how they’re different, and how to treat the issue at the source when possible.

If you’ve ever felt dizzy, unsteady, or disoriented and couldn’t figure out why, your neck may be playing a bigger role than you realize. Cervical vertigo, sometimes called cervicogenic vertigo, is a condition where dizziness is triggered by problems in the cervical spine (your neck).

It’s often misunderstood, frequently misdiagnosed, and surprisingly common among people with neck injuries, poor posture, or long-term stiffness. The good news? It’s treatable, and many patients find meaningful relief once they understand what’s really going on.