Headaches & Migraine
4 Life Physiotherapy provides comprehensive assessment and treatment for headache and migraine sufferers.
Because headaches are extremely common, many people think they are a normal part of life. Yet, chronic headaches are a signal that something is wrong. The regular utilisation of pain medication to fight headaches is like eliminating the warning light that alerts you to a difficulty in your car! Medication doesn’t cure your headaches, it just provides a temporary solution to diminish the pain.
Headaches are one of the most common presentations we see at 4 Life Physiotherapy and we pride ourselves on getting the very best outcomes for all of our patients. There are several different types of headaches and a variety of causes. The most common types of headaches seen by our therapists are tension headaches and headaches that result from the neck and surrounding structures (known as cervicogenic headaches).
To make an appointment for your headache or migraine pain, click here.
Causes
Did you know that the brain itself cannot feel pain? So where is that pain coming from?
Many factors can contribute to the onset of headaches including stress, poor posture, accidents (such as motor vehicle accidents, sports injuries and whiplash), medications, environmental factors and dietary irregularities. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache that we see at 4 Life Physiotherapy and relate to tension in the neck joints and/or surrounding muscles. This can refer pain into your head as the nerves that originate in the neck also supply your face and head. Whilst you will often feel this neck tension along with the headache, this is not always the case and you may be unaware that your neck is causing your headache.
Headaches that cause pain in the neck that radiates to the front of your head, cause pain behind the eyes, are associated with upper back pain, are brought on by movements of the neck or holding sustained postures (such as sustained computer use) are hallmark signs of neck-related headache. Headaches associated with dizziness, vertigo or vomiting are also often related to the neck.
Assessment
The first and most important aspect of our assessment is to determine the relevance of the upper 3 spinal segments (C1-3) spinal nerves to your headache and migraine condition. This will determine the relevance of the neck to the pain you are experiencing.
Based upon this examination, our Physiotherapists can determine the cause of your headache, allowing us to implement an individualised treatment plan to get you back to feeling like your old self again.
Treatment
Our treatment approach will vary for each person and is tailored to our clinical assessment findings and what muscles, joints and/or nerves are contributing to your headache. Treatment is typically focused on the upper 3 spinal segments (C1-3) and can include manual joint mobilisation, massage, myofascial release, dry needling acupuncture and a home program of stretching and strengthening.
By carefully restoring healthy movement to the spinal joints in your neck, your Physiotherapist can greatly reduce nerve irritation, and muscle tension, easing your headaches.
Our 4 Life Physiotherapists will also advise you on the most up to date postural and workplace ergonomic advice to make sure you have the best chance of preventing your headaches from returning.
Isn’t it time you stopped headaches impacting on your life? Please contact us to set up your comprehensive headache evaluation and start your journey toward living a life free of headaches!