Headaches and Migraines

“I’ve had headaches or migraines for years. Could physiotherapy help?”

Over 300 types of headaches have been described and it is one of the largest lists of diagnoses in medicine. Some of the common types of headache that you may be familiar with are:

• Migraines with or without aura
• Cluster headaches
• Tension headaches

The first step in treating headache disorders MUST be proper diagnosis. Reported symptoms alone are often not conclusive and must be supported by a comprehensive physical and medical history with diagnostic tests.

It is essential to rule out other possible causes of headaches.

Relatively recent research has indicated that in many cases, problems in the neck can play a significant role in eliciting headaches. Identifying the segments of the neck that may be causing the headaches and treating them accordingly has shown very positive results.

Physiotherapy treatment, including spinal mobilisations, soft tissue release and acupuncture, along with appropriate advice, has helped to eliminate or reduce headaches, even in those who had suffered on a long term basis.

Some of these cases can be suitable for Cranio-sacral therapy

Also essential to helping treat and prevent these cases is to correct posture. Our pilates classes and strength and conditioning classes can help with this as well as ergonomic advice to support your sitting position in your car and desk.