Did you know PT can help with headaches?
There are three common types of headaches that physical therapy has been shown to be REALLY beneficial with! Interventions like dry needling, joint mobilization and specific exercises have been shown to have really good research backing their short and long-term effectiveness, on top of all the anecdotal evidence showing its benefit.
So what are the three most common types of headaches?
Cervicogenic headaches (CGH) means the origin of the headache is coming from the neck. This headache follows a ram's horn pattern, meaning that it starts in the back of the head and can radiate up to the front of the head, ears, temples, around the eye, behind the eye or all of the above. These headaches can be triggered by:
- Neck movements aggravating symptoms (looking behind you, looking up at the ceiling)
- Prolonged postures (sleeping in funky positions, sitting at your desk with your head forward)
- Pressure along the spine and neck muscles reproducing your symptoms
Tension-type headaches are the most common type of headache and tend to be milder than the other two types of headache but are more constant and longer-lasting. This tends to affect both sides of the head (as opposed to just one like CGH and migraines). These feel like:
- Tightening/pressure on the side of the head, face, and jaw
- Characterized by tension in neck and jaw musculature (with reproduction of symptoms when pressing the muscles)
Migraine headaches can run the gamut and could be its own post in and of itself. Typically, they tend to be on one side of the head and be in the temple, ear, eye, top of the head region. These feel like:
- Pulsating/throbbing feeling
- Can occur with or without an aura
- Often have sensitivity to light & sound, nausea, vomiting, flickering sensation in eyes
Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for cervicogenic headaches and is an instrumental part of headache management! If you've been having chronic headaches that don't seem to be resolving, ask your physical therapist or doctor about how PT can help.
Who here has seen benefit with PT for their headache symptoms? Would love to hear your input!
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