All About Headaches
I’m sure we have all had a headache at one point in our life. That intense feeling that you just can’t shake no matter what you try. Headaches are commonly experienced by people of all ages and can come with varying presentations.
What types of headaches do Physios most commonly see?
Physiotherapy has shown to be very effective in treating certain types of headaches. Two certain types of headaches that we commonly treat are tension headaches and cervicogenic headaches.
What are these headaches and what do they involve?
Both of these types of headaches are often related to a dysfunction or tightness in the joints and muscles of the neck and upper back. These types of headaches can be referred to as a dull or pressure headache and often start in the back of the head and can radiate around to your forehead or behind your eyes.
As physiotherapists, we are trained in assessing and treating clients with headaches and may often prescribe light stretching or strengthening exercises to help any tight joints and muscles relax, thus reducing symptoms.
What you can do at home to manage your headaches?
- Drink lots of water to stay hydrated
- Try and get some quality sleep. Consider how your pillow may be affecting your sleep quality alongside your neck position.
- Take time out of your day to relax/ do something you enjoy in order to reduce stress levels
- Consider if environmental factors set off your headaches – Is it the food you are eating? Bright lights? Certain smells?
- Take regular breaks when doing one task for a while – take time to stretch your neck and shoulders
Can poor posture give me headaches?
Poor posture is one of the biggest factors that we see that can lead to headaches. In particular tension in your shoulders can cause you to hitch your shoulders leading to tightness and pain. Additionally, with the dependency on using technology, in particular computers, often we find most people will poke their neck out in order to get closer to the screen. This sustained neck poke can cause straining in the muscles at the back of your neck. That’s why regular stretching is important, especially with jobs that are sedentary, stressful or require a lot of neck movement.
What do Physiotherapists do for headaches?
Physiotherapists work on releasing both stiff or tight joints and muscles. This is often through hands-on manual therapy with joint mobilisations, massage and maybe even some dry needling. Physiotherapists not only physically treat your neck, but we look for ways to reduce your headaches in the future. This may include but isn’t limited to looking at your work set up, sleeping position or stretches that may benefit you.
Stretches
Regular stretching can significantly help reduce the intensity and frequency of your headaches by reducing tightness in your muscles and joints. Try these three stretches at home regularly and see how they work for you.
- Looking straight forward, bring your ear to your shoulder and tilt your head to the side, hold for 20 seconds. You may use your hand for overpressure.
- Look down towards your armpit and hold for 30 seconds. You may use your hand again to apply overpressure.
- Look up and down multiple times making sure to keep your chin tucked in
Self massage
- Hold your fingers on your temples and lightly push – this can help relieve pressure in that area as well as feelings of tightness behind the eyes
- Place your fingers at the back of your head along the top of your neck/bottom of your skull. Apply some pressure here and hold it for 10 seconds, this can ease your headache.
When to seek extra help?
Please speak to your doctor if you experiencing the following:
- Fainting
- Nausea or bouts of intense dizziness
- Trouble speaking or swallowing
- Visual disturbances such as double vision
If these symptoms resonate with you, contact one of our friendly team members today to have an assessment and develop a management plan. Click here to book an appointment!
Written by
Amelia Sant
Physiotherapist
PhysioMotion Cairns
Shop 5/9-11 Stokes Street
Edmonton QLD 4869