Learn How PT Can Help You Find Effective Headache Relief
Headaches are a common problem that can affect anyone of any age. When recurring tension or stress-related headaches make it difficult to get through the day, physical therapy may be required to provide long-term pain relief.
Physical therapy can aid in the treatment of stress-related headaches. As Choose PT states, “there is effective treatment for almost every type of headache.” Working with a physical therapist can help you identify tension-relieving exercises and find long-term headache relief without the use of pain medication.
Our skilled physical therapists have the knowledge and experience required to identify the source of your headaches. They can also design a customized treatment plan that is both safe and effective. Tired of dealing with the annoyances from frequent headaches? Continue reading to find out how physical therapy can help you!
What can a physical therapist do for stress-related headaches?
Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain associated with headaches while working to restore proper function and a full range of motion in the neck and shoulder areas.
Typically, there are 2 different types of physical therapy treatments that are ideal for relieving chronic headaches, these include:
Passive Therapies
- Alternating heat and ice therapy
- Massage therapy
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS
- Ultrasound
Active Therapies
- Stretching
- Strengthening exercises
- Muscular releases
- Pain relief exercises
- Low-impact aerobics
- Range-of-motion exercises
Depending on the severity and cause of your headaches, our physical therapist may suggest a combination of physical therapy treatment methods to provide pain relief. However, because each person responds differently to headache pain, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no “one size fits all” treatment plan.
Because physical therapy targets the muscles and joints, it is an effective treatment option for those who experience tension headaches or stress-related headaches, and headache pain that radiates down into the jaw, neck, and shoulder areas.
Over time, our physical therapist aims to not only reduce your pain but hopefully prevent recurring headaches altogether. The primary goal of physical therapy is to not only provide pain relief but to increase mobility, improve posture, and to help strengthen the muscles that control your neck, shoulders, and upper back areas.
With all physical therapy treatment plans, our patients will receive helpful educational information that will help them to complete pain relief exercises at home to supplement in-office visits.
Why did my headaches develop?
The most common type of headache experienced by adolescents and adults in tension headaches—sometimes referred to as stress-related headaches. This type of headache occurs when the muscles of the scalp and neck are tensed and then contracted.
Stress is the easy answer to this question, but in reality it’s a lot more complicated than that. Stress can manifest itself in all kinds of ways; however, finding ways to deal with stress is not always an option.
Stress can build from a wide range of activities, and some of those activities may be things that you really enjoy doing, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t weigh on you, creating an added level of pressure that can manifest in painful headaches.
If you have tension headaches, you will most likely feel that the pain begins at the back of your neck before it rises to the top of your head and eventually causes pain and discomfort behind your eyes. It’s also common to experience tension headache pain in your cheeks, jaw, and even down your shoulders.
Some common causes of a tension headache include:
- Stress
- Hair pulled back tightly
- Poor posture
- Arthritis
- Fatigue
- Anxiety and depression
Other common types of headaches that may cause recurrent pain and discomfort include sinus headaches, caffeine headaches, migraine headaches, hormonal headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and cluster headaches.
Stress is a common trigger for tension and migraine headaches. Rather than stressing ways you can avoid stress, it may be more helpful to think about strategies that will help ease headaches once you develop—as well as stress-reduction techniques that may prevent stress from reaching your head first.
Schedule your initial consultation today
If you or a loved one lives with recurrent headaches, regular physical therapy can provide quick and effective pain relief.
Do you want to learn more about the numerous advantages of physical therapy for tension headaches? Call us today to schedule an appointment to meet with one of our physical therapists!
