Tension Headache Treatment - Physiotherapy to The Rescue!
Monday, December 7, 2015
There are some headaches that require urgent medical care and you should be aware of them. For instance a sudden intense pain in your head can be the beginning of a migraine or a ruptured blood vessel needing urgent medical attention.
Owing to the possibility of meningitis, encephalitis, blood clots and tumours all sudden, intense headaches need to be assessed by your doctor as soon as possible.
Causes
Tension headaches can be caused by stress, over-working, anxiety, depression, eye-strain, frowning and squinting in the sunshine. In addition, they may be caused by compulsive movements like jaw clenching or grinding your teeth at night, which creates temporo-mandibular joint pain.
Bad posture
Bad posture is also a common cause of tension headaches on one or both sides of the head. Poor neck and shoulder posture can put strain on the neck, which in turn may pinch a nerve and reduce the blood supply to the head.
In these cases the physiotherapist can teach you exercises to correct your posture and eliminate the cause of your muscle strain. Tension headaches shouldn't be ignored or over-treated with painkillers which are only meant for short term use.
Pain reduction
Any type of headache caused by tension or a pinched nerve responds really well to physiotherapy treatment techniques. First of all, the physio will spend time talking with you about your medical history, your headaches and how they are affecting your daily life.
After a full consultation the physio will design a course of treatment especially tailored to your requirements. This may include therapeutic massage to free any trapped nerves and increase the healthy blood flow to your head and neck muscles – dramatically reducing pain.
Relaxation techniques
Heat treatment and ultrasound are also very effective ways to relax and loosen those tensed up muscles - giving much-needed pain relief. Gentle joint manipulation will improve mobility that may have been reduced by inflammation or tension.
Most of us have experienced tension headaches at one time or another, but if you find that they're becoming a regular thing you need to get some professional help. A physiotherapist will have the time to treat you and then explain how you can use relaxation techniques at home to avoid tension headaches in the future.
For people who've been plagued by tension headaches for many years, a visit to your local physiotherapist could change your life!