Are you suffering from headaches?
Read on to see answers to the most common questions we get regarding headache. Most importantly, what our osteopaths, right here in Mount Eliza, can offer to help you.
The hassle with headaches is that there are so many different types. In fact, Everyone describes their headache in their own individual way. So, your headache is likely unique to you.
We can however, look at research that has been performed over many years and draw upon that to create classifications of headache in order to help guide how we manage your situation.
What are the types of headache?
Tension Headaches:
These are the most common type of headache. They typically cause a mild to moderate, band-like pain around the head. They are often associated with stress, muscle tension, and spending too much time in certain postures.
Migraines:
Cluster Headaches:
Sinus Headaches:
Hormone-Related Headaches:
Rebound Headaches (Medication Overuse Headaches):
Exertional Headaches:
Thunderclap Headaches:
Ice Cream Headaches (Brain Freeze):
What causes a brain freeze headache?
Migraine Headache
What is the difference Between a migraine and a headache?
What does a migraine feel like?
What can trigger a migraine?
How do I know if my headache is serious?
Determining if a headache is serious or not depends on several factors, including the characteristics of the headache, associated symptoms, and your personal medical history.
If in doubt, sort it out! In Mount Eliza, we are very fortunate to have some very skilled and experienced doctors in the area. If your unsure if your headache is serious, book an appointment with your doctor to discuss any medical causes for your headache.
Here are some signs and symptoms that may indicate a potentially serious headache, warranting prompt medical attention:
How do I know if my headache is serious?
Can an osteopath help with headaches?
Yes, osteopaths are well equipped to help with headache. In fact, this is a very common presentation to us here at YouMove Osteopathy.
We believe that we are particularly helpful with those annoying tension headaches. We address problems in your jaw and upper neck to reduce pain and improve mobility.
Our osteopaths can also help with migraine headache. However, the cause for migraine headache can be variable. In many cases, migraine headache is related to issues with the upper neck. In people where this is the case, they often tell us that their migraine starts as a pain in the neck. This is the migraine headache which osteopathy may provide great benefit for.
Osteopathy uses a whole body wellness approach that focuses on the interrelationship between the body's structure and function. Osteopaths are trained to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including headaches.
How does an osteopath help headaches?
Here's how our Mount Eliza Osteopaths may be able to help with your headaches:
We work with you to establish your goals.
This is usually something along the lines of:
Reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of headache events.
Reduce the disability caused by headache.
Reduce discomfort in the neck and shoulders.
After a thorough clinical examination, we will provide you with a diagnosis and discuss the causative factors specific to you. Some of these factors might include:
Muscle Tension: If your headaches are caused by muscle tension in the neck, shoulders, or upper back, Our osteopaths can use manual techniques such as soft tissue manipulation, stretching, and myofascial release to relieve muscle tension and improve blood flow.
Posture: Holding yourself in a sustained position for a long time can lead to excessive strain placed on your upper neck. Using a computer or spending a lot of time looking down at your phone is an example of this.
Head down posture increases to pressure on your neck 3-fold.
At YouMove osteopathy, we assess your posture and provide guidance on ergonomic changes and exercises to help correct posture issues.
Stress: Our osteopaths may incorporate relaxation techniques and stress management strategies into their treatment plans. Stress is a common trigger for tension headaches, and reducing stress can help prevent their recurrence. Sometimes, we may incorporate the management of another professional to specifically manage this if we feel that it is appropriate. If this is something that you want to do, we’ll help make this a smooth process.
Lifestyle and Diet: Our osteopaths may provide advice on lifestyle modifications, including recommendations for diet, exercise, and sleep patterns, to help manage and prevent headaches.
Assessment of Underlying Causes: Osteopaths take a comprehensive approach to healthcare and may explore underlying factors contributing to your headaches, such as nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or other health conditions. We can work alongside other professionals if required, to get the best outcome for you.
We will then lay out a road to recovery for you. This might include:
Manual treatment to reduce headache via correcting the problems in the upper neck and upper back.
Postural correction of the neck to reduce recurrence.
Treating the spinal column and shoulders to help take strain off the neck.
Home exercise program to maintain and progress postural control.
Ergonomic modifications where applicable.
What type of headache can an osteopath help with?
When should you not see an osteopath for your headache?
What osteopathy techniques are used for headaches?
Struggling with headache? Need answers? We're here to help!
As osteopaths, we understand that experiencing headaches can be a challenging and distressing issue, but remember that there is a lot that can be done to help.
For some individuals, headaches are linked to muscle tension, postural problems, or issues related to the musculoskeletal system. At YouMove Osteopathy, we can play a valuable role in addressing these contributing factors. Our osteopaths can use hands-on manual techniques to assess and treat musculoskeletal imbalances, provide guidance on posture and ergonomics, and help alleviate muscle tension.
If you or someone you know is dealing with headaches, give YouMove osteopathy a call to see how we can help.
If you would like some more information on how we help headache, click HERE.
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