24 month follow-up effects of dry needling in a patient with bilateral cervicogenic headache: a case report

A 49 year old male patient was referred to physiotherapy department with the complaints of non-throbbing, non-lightening headache over posterior aspect of the head past nine years. The medical history and examinations findings had shown the evidence for bilateral cervicogenic headache and myofascial triggers in the trapezius muscle. He was treated with 15 minutes (per session) of sub-occipital, paraspinal and trapezius dry needling for five weeks. After five weeks, he was relieved from pain, neck disability and movement restriction of cervical spine. Even after the 24 months the sustainability of treatment effects were noted and the patient’s quality of life improved dramatically. The results of this case report have suggesting that dry needling can desensitise the neural pathways of cervicogenic headache and normalise the sensory-motor functions of cervical spine. The clinical importance of dry needling on cervicogenic headache has to be studied further to support this report’s findings.