What are the symptoms of cervical foraminal stenosis headaches?

Symptoms of cervical subforaminal stenosis headaches include pain in the upper cervical area and lower back area of the skull, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Interruptions in memory, concentration, libido and potency may occur as the condition worsens. Symptoms resembling secondary chronic myelopathy can appear. Those symptoms include neck pain, loss of coordination and balance, and numbness and weakness in the arms and hands, notes the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

When structural or functional changes occur near the base of the skull or upper cervical area that compress the dural sac, which is the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord within the spinal column, subforaminal stenosis syndrome is the result, explains the National Center for Biotechnology Information. Surgical treatment, such as a laminectomy to relieve the compression, can provide permanent relief. The dural sac is the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord within the spinal column, according to MedicineNet.com.

Cervical stenosis commonly causes neck pain, especially in people more than 50 years old, according to Princeton Brain and Spine. Pain results as the spinal canal in the upper spine or neck area becomes narrow and puts pressure on the spinal cord. Neck trauma or injury can cause the condition, but the symptoms may not appear until months or years after the trauma occurs.