Migraines and headaches can be debilitating and can play havoc with daily life. It is not uncommon for headache sufferers to see a GP or a neurologist and undergo many tests that then return no diagnosis. This can lead to a sense of relief and then frustration at not being able to pinpoint and tackle the cause. It also often means the headache suffer has to rely on using pain medication to alleviate the symptoms, which does not unfortunately address the cause.
There is hope though, as fortunately physiotherapy can be a vital part of the treatment of headaches.
Figures indicate as much as 90% of headaches arise from the neck area through taut muscles, restricted blood flow, poor posture or disturbed nerve supply. Physiotherapy is particularly effective for those headaches often referred to as cervicogenic headaches (where pain that is felt within the head or face is actually referred pain originating from structures in the neck or spine.) Tension headaches tend to typically stem from taut or spasming neck muscles caused by poor posture or restricted vertebral movement and a lot of physiotherapists believe that Migraines are caused by a misaligned cervical spinal column.
Treatments that we employ at The Physiotherapy Partners to combat headaches include; tailored exercise programmes and pilates, acupuncture, mobilisations and manipulation and also soft tissue techniques. Before starting any course of treatment, will conduct a thorough assessment of your neck and the surrounding muscles and work with you to identify the source of your pain. We will also look to uncover any other contributory factors that might influence your pain to ensure that Physiotherapy is the right course of action for you.
If you suffer regularly from headaches, contact us here and book an appointment at one of our three clinics at a time to suit you.
