Recent scientific studies have shown that at the root of such a serious condition as a stroke lie so-called transient or temporary cerebrovascular disorders, which manifest as headaches.

So, what exactly is a headache from a scientific point of view? According to the latest international classification, there are 48 nosological entities of headaches, meaning the spectrum of causes capable of triggering this suffering is quite broad. Unfortunately, this fact is far from always considered by practicing doctors, primarily neurologists, in outpatient clinics where children come with their complaints.

One quite common cause, which is undeservedly ignored, is an old subluxation of the first cervical vertebrae. To understand the reason for this phenomenon, it is necessary to know some anatomical and biomechanical features of this section of the spine. The joint between the occipital bone and the first two cervical vertebrae represents a single, most complex joint of the human skeleton and, together with the surrounding tissues, forms a unique anatomical zone.

It serves to attach the skull to the cervical spine and at the same time allows the skull to freely tilt, extend, retract, and rotate. It is responsible for the fixation and mobility of vital structures in the critical transition zone between the brain, connected to the organs of vision, hearing, smell, and the rest of the body. The anatomical structure of the upper neck allows a person to move their head freely while simultaneously protecting and supporting important nerve and vascular plexuses that link the brain and body into a single functional whole. Special attention is deserved by the fact that the vertebral artery, vein, and the surrounding nerve plexus pass through a narrow (only up to 5 mm!), winding bony canal of the vertebrae. Along with the carotid artery and vein, these vessels provide blood supply to the brain.

Knowing this, it becomes clear why even the slightest displacement of these vertebrae causes vascular disorders, which manifest as chronic deprivation of certain areas of the brain of nutrients and, consequently, lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and other neurological symptoms.

The causes of subluxations can be very diverse, ranging from birth trauma of the cervical spine, injuries sustained by the child during play or falls, to seemingly trivial actions such as somersaults or standing on the head during physical education classes. This vulnerability of this spinal segment is due to the high functional load on one hand and the age-related weakness of the ligamentous apparatus of the joint on the other.

A feature of such injuries is the complete absence or slight, rapidly disappearing pain in the cervical spine and the appearance of the aforementioned complaints only after some time (from 2–3 months up to 2–3 years), which is explained not by acute onset but by chronic progressive brain ischemia and the great compensatory capabilities of the child’s body.

The nature of the complaints does not allow an unprepared orthopedist or neurologist to suspect pathology from the spine, as a result of which children, whose cause is an undiagnosed subluxation of the cervical vertebrae, remain under observation for a long time with diagnoses such as “vegetative-vascular dystonia,” “intracranial hypertension,” “migraine,” etc., receiving medication treatment that is often ineffective and quite harmful to the growing child’s body.

For successful treatment of this group of patients, a vertebrology clinic has been created at the intersection of three specialties—orthopedics-traumatology, neurosurgery, and neurology—engaged in the development and implementation of principles for diagnosing and treating children with neurological disorders caused by spinal pathology.

If symptoms characteristic of cervical spine pathology are present—namely birth or other traumas, pain in the occiput, neck pain during movement or palpation, headaches, dizziness, and little or no effect from medication therapy—we recommend consulting the vertebrology clinic for diagnosis and comprehensive neuro-orthopedic treatment.