Headaches - How physio can help?
Many people suffer headaches at some point in their lives. For some people these headaches can be severe and long standing, they can interrupt work, hobbies and their social life, having a huge impact on their quality of life. Many people who suffer from headaches rely heavily on medication to manage these symptoms but often this is a short term solution.
There are many, many different types of headaches including Tension Headaches, Cervicogenic Headaches and Migraines. These ‘Primary’ headaches are caused by sensitisation of structures within the brain, neck and associated muscles. Other headaches are classified as Secondary headaches and can be caused by:
- Dehydration
- Alcohol
- Illness/Infection
- Concussion
- Medications
- Cancer
- Brain clot or bleed
- And many other reasons
Physiotherapist are experts at assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions and ‘Primary’ headaches that originate from the neck, jaw or surrounding muscles and can be treated very effectively with Physiotherapy. Flex Physiotherapists will also investigate the potential cause and contributing factors of your headaches such as:
- Stress, Anxiety
- Workstation set up
- Repetitive work positions or activities
- Posture
- Muscle tension
- Muscle weakness
- Neck stiffness
- Etc.
Therefore, the management and treatment of headaches will often include manual therapy as well as exercises to improve your posture, strength or range of movement. We may provide advice about managing stress and anxiety which can have a huge impact on recurrent and chronic pain. Having an understanding about what is causing your pain can help you take control of your headaches as well. We will also discuss any other changes that may help you to self-manage your headaches and decrease the severity and frequency.
If you suffer from headaches, make an appointment with Flex Physiotherapist so we can help you.