Abstract:Objective:To explore the etiology of unknown cause headache in younger patients and determine the effect of cervical vertebrae curvature abnormality on the headache, as well as search for the treatment measures. Methods: 120 headache patients aged from 12 to 35 years with abnormal X-ray of Cervical Vertebrae Curvature ( CVC) were recruited and divided into three groups ( mild group with 41 cases, moderate with 40 , severe with 39) based on their abnormality degree of CVC. The data include clinical symptoms (degree and course of headache, accompanied vertigo, syncope, amnesia, etc) , related signs ( blood pressure, Hoffmann's and Romberg 's signs), as well as laboratory examinations (EEG, TCD ) were detected and compared in above three groups. 100 cases among 120 patients were treated by physical means of traction and Chinese medical massage; and effects of the therapy were also analysed. Results: Parallel to the increase in CVC abnormality degree, the severity of headache symptoms, pathological signs and EEG,TCD changes also raised . The differences among three groups ( mild, moderate, severe) were significant (P<0.05~0.01 ). There is a close relationship of CVC with the degree and course of headache (P <0. 01 ). In 90 completed therapy patients, 77cases (85. 5 % ) were in excellent result and 8 (8.9% ) were in fair result; 5 in poor. The effective rate was 94.4%. Conclusion: CVC abnormality is closely related to headache in younger patients; which might be the potential cause of youth headache; the physical therapy could effectively decrease or cure this kind of headache.
