What you describe is my issue now. I have bad neck poison from my DDD. I get head discomfort up the back of my head to the top. And when really bad my balance is off. Gone to ENT, orthopedic doctor. Now I'll try neuro. And as l said before I'm trying dry needling next week.

Look into cervicogenic headache. The pain pattern fits that, as does being triggered by position. The olfactory nerve can get irritated, causing what feels like sinusitis. It is often misdiagnosed as migraine.

@jetsetter Cervicogenic headaches can be generated from the spine. If your vertebrae are out of alignment just a bit, or twisted or tilted or if they slip forward, etc that puts extra pressure on the muscles between the neck and head and causes pain and muscle spasms. It can also cause vertigo. All of that happened to me because of a herniated cervical disc. Your physical therapist should be able to assess if your neck is out of alignment. If you have not been evaluated by a spine specialist, you may want to do that and get some imaging. If you have had a whiplash in the past, there can be changes going on with the spine even years later. I had a spinal fusion which solved these problems and gave me back quality of life.

@jetsetter I ran across your post and I am a spine surgery patient. What caught my attention in your message was that changing the position of your head and neck is causing pain. I recognize this as a possible spine issue. I had symptoms like this before I found out that I had cervical stenosis and spinal cord compression because of a ruptured C5/C6 disc with bone spurs. I could turn my head and cause a pain in my ankle like a dog was biting me, then when I straightened my neck, the pain stopped. It was reproducible and I could turn it on and off in the beginning. What happens when you bend your neck is that the spinal cord moves inside the canal as it floats in fluid. Imagine a rope inside of a garden hose and you bend it and the rope adjusts its position. If you are side bending, it can compress spaces between the vertebrae where the spinal nerves exit, and if there is already compression there from arthritis or if a disc has gotten smaller, it can irritate the nerve. Spine issues also generate muscle spasms in the neck and head, and I had spasms that were independently rotating my vertebrae which does cause cervicogenic headaches or pain up the back or side of my head when muscles get stretched because of a forceful contraction of the opposing muscle. Muscles work in opposition to each other to control movement, so a spasm can beat up its partner that is trying to help. Gabapentin is prescribed to mask pain, so weaning off of it can expose an issue that you were not aware of before.

I was pretty nervous the first time I saw a spine surgeon. I know that can be worrisome and it was for me. As time went on, and my symptoms increased, I got to where I needed spine surgery and it changed my life for the better. I was on a path to disability and needed surgical intervention. Physical therapy can help too and buy time by realigning the spine and strengthening so hopefully it can remain in a good position.

Have you thought about consulting a spine specialist?