Dr Dean Watson, a Titled Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist completed his undergraduate physiotherapy qualification in 1976 and subsequently a Graduate Diploma in Advanced Manipulative Therapy with Honours, a Masters Degree by original research, and Doctor of Philosophy also by original research.

Dean is the Founder and Director of the Watson Headache® Clinic and Watson® Headache Institute.  He continues to consult, presents courses to manual therapists nationally and internationally, and research the role of cervical afferents in the trigemino cervical nucleus otherwise known as brainstem sensitization environment.

• Can you explain to us the concept of brain stem desensitization?
• Does your management protocol vary if it is an acute headache or chronic headache?
• How do you suggest – for practitioners listeningto this – how you determine when other health practitioners are needed in the management and how to integrate this?
• I note that your PhD was completed in 2016 this means you started it in your late 50s – why and how did this come about?
• What was the main finding of your PhD research?
• You director of the Watson Headache® Clinic and the Watson Headache® Institute.How did the Institute come about and what is its purpose?
• You have been on this journey of advocating for the role of cervical dysfunction in primary headache and migraine conditions for nearly 30 years – what is your vision and what do you hope to achieve?

Dr Dean Watson, on behalf of the Watson Headache® Institute presents continuing professional development courses to manual therapists (Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Osteopaths and Manual Therapy Doctors) on examination (i.e. determining the relevancy or not of upper cervical afferents) and non high velocity thrust treatment of the upper cervical spine in not only cervicogenic headache but also primary headache and migraine conditions.  For further information please visit the website www.watsonheadache.com.  Dean Watson has been invited by Neurologic Education to present at their Conference, ‘The Integrative Therapies for Headache and Migraine’ to be held in Sydney 1^st– 3^rdMarch 2018.   Please check –    https://neurologiceducation.com.au/event_landing/integrative-therapies-headache-migraine/