Headache and migraine – don’t ignore the signs

Did you know?

• There are more than 300 causes of headaches.
• There are many different types of headache, and you can suffer two or more types at the same time.

There are several kinds of headache that should not be ignored, including a headache:

• accompanied by memory loss or motor weakness
• associated with symptoms like fever
• that is markedly different to your previous headaches
• that has a sudden and severe, ‘thunderclap’, onset, and
• that is recurrent and persists in those over 50.

If you or a family member is experiencing this kind of headache you should seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Physiotherapy can help ease headaches and migraines

As you may know, getting to the cause of recurrent or severe headaches can be difficult.

There are many types of headaches which can be confusing for you and your practitioner.

In our experience, many headaches and migraines are caused by structural issues, including a neck disorder or physical and emotional tension.

Is your headache:

• accompanied by neck pain?
• eased by pressure to the base of the skull?
• does the pain radiate from the back to the front of your head?
• paired with dizziness or light-headedness?
• always on the same side of your head?
• persistent, despite ruling out all other causes – such as allergy or eye-strain?

An assessment from the team at Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy can determine if your headache or migraine is caused by your upper neck and the associated muscles.

If your headaches do stem from your neck, we provide treatment to relieve your symptoms, and give you strategies to help manage your headaches in the long-term.

• Gentle hands-on physiotherapy can help ease your symptoms.
• Poor posture can lead to neck disorders that cause headaches.
• Education is a key step to avoid headache and migraine triggers.
• At home exercises can help keep headaches and migraines at bay.

The Watson approach to headache and migraine

Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy is a Watson Headache Institute accredited clinic.

Led by Dr Dean Watson, the institute promotes the fact that many headaches and migraines are caused by neck disorders.

The Watson approach:

• gets to the origin of your headache or migraine.
• is medication free, and
• has a record of long-term success.

What’s the difference between a headache and a migraine?

Migraines are a type of headache. They’re extremely severe and can make you feel nauseous, cause disturbances to your vision and make you sensitive to noise, light and, in some cases, odours.

This debilitating form of headache can start with numbness or tingling in your hands or arms and can be accompanied by skin that is painful to the lightest touch.

Migraines leave most sufferers bed ridden for a substantial period of time.

Your progression to headache and migraine relief

When you come to our clinic, your physiotherapist will get to know your history, take you through a thorough assessment process and answer any of your questions.

Once we have an accurate picture of your condition we:

• talk to you about the best treatment options
• create a personalised program
• suggest exercises for you to do at home, and
• give you strategies to manage and minimise your headaches or migraine.

Get help now

Headaches and migraines can be extremely debilitating. If you or a family member is experiencing severe or regular headaches, don’t wait – get help from an experienced physiotherapist.

You can be confident our qualified and highly skilled physiotherapists will do all they can to get to the source of your pain and bring relief.

Call Progressive Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy today on 4721 7798 or email: [email protected]