Headaches are one of the most common forms of ‘illness’ in Australia.
Although there are many different types of headache, the symptoms are often very similar which can make diagnosis and treatment tricky.
People will often resort to using painkillers to treat the symptoms, when what they really need is a proper assessment and treatment of the underlying causes – something your Physiotherapist is trained to help you with.
Types of headache a Physio can treat:
Cervicogenic Headaches: These headaches result from a particular structure or change within the neck, which ‘refers’ pain up into the head. This type of headache is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed and can be a very perplexing (and debilitating) if relief cannot be found.
A classic symptom of Cervicogenic Headache is pain in the neck and progressively spreading upwards into the head, often on one side only. Other symptoms may include increased pain with neck movements or awkward postures; associated neck, shoulder or arm pain; reduced range of neck movement; pain spreading up the back of the head or into the forehead or temples or even episodes of nausea, vomiting, dizziness or blurred vision in one eye. Although the pain is referred from the neck, there is not always pain in the neck itself.
Tension Headaches: These are the most common form of headache. They often feel like pressure is building up in or around your head and may involve pain in your neck and shoulders. Tension Headaches can be caused by physical or emotional stress, poor posture, neck injury, tiredness and/or prolonged periods of sitting at a computer.
A Physiotherapist can perform a thorough assessment to identify the cause of your specific headache and will use techniques like joint mobilisation, stretches, myofascial release, soft tissue release and posture correction to target the pain-referring structures and to give you relief.
Headaches can really affect your quality of life – if you suffer from regular headaches with any of the symptoms above be sure to consult your Bend + Mend Physio for an assessment today. You can also read more Bend + Mend posts on headaches here.
