Can City Physio treat my headache or migraine pain?
If you suffer from a headache or migraine pain in Adelaide then City Physio can assist you to eliminate or decrease your headache pain without drugs. Our hands-on headache Physio treatment will not only decrease or eliminate your headache pain but we will locate and treat the root cause of your headaches.
Your experienced Physio will work with you to understand the cause of your headache and will implement treatment strategies so you can prevent your headache from reoccurring or at least reduce the frequency and severity of your headache pain.
What causes headaches?
Headaches are commonly a result of restricted movement within the spinal joints and muscles of the neck, head, jaw and face. Your hands-on headache Physio in Adelaide will ask you questions about your work, how you sleep, any stresses you may have, and observe your posture.
If you have restricted movement in your neck or upper back spinal joints, your nerves and blood vessels close to your spine or head may become irritated. This can result in your neck, head, jaw or face muscles becoming tight and overworked, resulting in pain in these muscles and the end result is headache pain.
Are there different types of headaches?
There are many types of headaches – the most common types of headaches are tension headaches, cervicogenic headaches and migraines.
A tension headache will feel like a squeezing pressure around your head. Tension headaches can be caused by stress, long work hours, depression, frowning or squinting which leads to eye strain. Tension headaches are more common in females than in males. Grinding your teeth at night or clenching your jaw may give you tempero-mandibular joint (TMJ) pain or symptoms as well as a headache on one or both sides of your head.
Your neck and shoulder posture can put a strain on your neck spinal joints. If your muscles are tight or knotted their resting length will be shortened and this will pull on their attachment to your neck joints. This may pinch a nerve supplying the sensory part of your head or the tight muscles can directly pull on your head and scalp. Tension headaches can be constant or intermittent and often occur at the end of the day, week or month.
Migraines
Can physiotherapy treat migraine sufferers?
Migraines affect many of our patients. The triggers for migraines are not yet completely understood. Changes in your circulatory or nervous system in certain sections of the brain and chemical or hormonal imbalances are blamed for causing migraine pain.
There are two main categories of migraines including a common and classic migraine. Migraine headache pain is generally unilateral, on one side of your head, however, it can cover the entire head.
Migraine pain symptoms usually include severe headaches with throbbing, pulsing or stabbing pains. Migraines can also cause nausea, loss of appetite, increased sensitivity to light and altered bodily perception. Patients suffering from migraine pain sometimes experience an aura that may include visual changes, sense of smell changes that inform them that they are on the verge of onset of a migraine.
There are lots of triggers for migraines such as increased stress, certain foods, particular medications, changes in your sleep patterns, hormonal changes (such as your menstrual cycle or entering perimenopause) and tension in your neck and upper back. Physiotherapy treatment for a migraine – it is our experience that our hands-on physiotherapy treatment can help to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine pain.
Classic migraines
Classic migraines are often preceded by an aura or visual changes and occur more commonly in females. A Migraine may also be preceded by mood swings up to a day earlier than their onset. Classic migraines are often more severe than a headache and are usually described as an ache on one side on the front and or back of the head or a throbbing, pulsing type headache pain.
A migraine can also cause other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite and visual changes including loss of part of their field of vision and sensitivity to light. If medication or treatment is taken at the onset of a migraine, they can usually be prevented or their symptoms decreased.
Common migraines
Common migraines often come on with no warning signals. Sometimes it can be certain foods, drink, blood sugar levels, too much or too little sleep that trigger these migraines. The symptoms may be similar to a classic migraine. Most patients report that they need to go to sleep to eliminate this migraine pain.
After common migraines patients usually wake up feeling exhausted or washed out, with increased sensitivity of their vision and hearing. During migraines, it is common for the muscles in your neck, head and shoulders to tighten and cause your neck joints to stiffen. Hands-on Physio can treat and reduce your muscle and joint tightness and assist your relaxation providing you with pain relief.
For effective headache treatment in Adelaide, visit our highly qualified physiotherapists at City Physiotherapy. We will help you to manage your headache symptoms and alleviate the pain of any headache type.
