【Abstract】 Cervicogenic headache is characterized by pain referred from the cervical spine to the headache. The International Headache Society recognizes this type of headache as a distinct disorder. It was classified into the secondary headache in the ICHDII. However, the exact mechanisms of the development of cervicogenic headache remain ambiguous. We reviewed literatures during the last 2 decades and intended to summarize the possible mechanisms. We found that besides the initial disorders in the cervical spine, the formation of trigger points, the hyper sensitization of the central nervous system and the local areas where the referred pain occurs, and the convergence between the cervical afferents all play important roles in the development of cervicogenic headache.