How Physical Therapy Can Help Your Headache

Denver may boast 300 days of sunshine per year, but that brings little relief to many folks who suffer from the dark cloud of headaches on an ongoing basis. When your head hurts, the last thing you want is bright sunlight in your eyes. While the cause of headaches can be quite complex, in most cases, the solution may be as simple as a few visits to your physical therapist.

Tension Headaches

The exact cause of tension headache is unknown however, some factors can contribute to a tension headache, including stress, fatigue, eye strain, caffeine, and colds. It can cause pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck, and is often associated with muscle tightness in these areas. A tension headache pain may be described as dull pressure, the feeling of a tight band on the head, the pain can be all over the head, and maybe worse in the scalp, temples, or back of the neck, and possibly in the shoulders.

How Physical Therapy Can Help Your Tension Headache

Physical therapy can have an effective result for relieving your tension headache through the relaxation of muscles. Your tension headache treatment may include alleviating stiff neck joints through manual therapy, muscle strengthening exercises, muscle stretching, massage, dry needling, and posture correction.

Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic headaches result from mechanical dysfunctions of the neck, vertebrae, and joints. Common symptoms of cervicogenic headaches include initial pain that starts in the back of the head or neck; pain that seems to reside on one side of the head; and a sensation of pressure or tightness. They can also produce symptoms similar to migraine headaches, such as light and noise sensitivity, blurry vision, and an upset stomach.

Physical Therapy to Help Cervicogenic Headaches

Physical therapy may be recommended to strengthen weak neck muscles and improve the mobility of your joints. After a thorough exam and creating a treatment plan, your Physical Therapist’s goals will be to improving mobility through the upper and middle back, lumbar spine, and pelvis as appropriate, strengthen the anterior neck stabilizing muscles and working with you to improve the stresses of your normal day (i.e. sitting posture at a computer).

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches affect 29.5 million Americans, are more severe and have the following symptoms: pain preceded by visual disturbances, runny nose, teary eyes, nausea and/or vomiting, tingling, numbness, sweating, and possible sensitivity to light. Routine physical activity may trigger these symptoms. Migraines can last for a few days and can run in families, indicating a possible genetic cause.

Physical Therapy for Migraine Headaches

Physical therapy can help reduce headache pain and restore function and movement and should be carried out by a licensed physical therapist. Passive and active are two types of physical therapy used to relieve migraine and headache pain. Passive therapies include massage, heat/ice packs, steroid creams, and ultrasound. Active physical therapies include stretching, range-of-motion, and pain-relief exercises; strengthening exercises; and low-impact aerobic conditioning. Some techniques can help reduce pain, at least temporarily, especially if used at the onset of the attack.

If you aren’t sure which type of headache you have, please consider scheduling an appointment with us today. Some research indicates that headaches are on a continuum, which means that applying manual therapies appropriate for cervicogenic headaches may help reduce migraine symptoms. Our physical therapists have advanced training and will determine which course of action is appropriate for your unique situation.

If headaches are keeping you from enjoying the Colorado sunshine, please contact us at Fyzical to schedule an appointment. Our highly skilled and experienced PTs are here to help you improve your quality of life.

Yours for improved quality of life,
Dr. Christian Jones, Fyzical Littleton/Peak Clinic