Headaches and How to Manage Them

Neck, Spine, Blog, / By Winsen Citra

There are many types of headaches. It is important for you to know what kind of headache you are having and how to treat it . This is because different types of headaches requires different treatment. Some requires intervention from doctors and others require you to see a physiotherapist or make lifestyle changes. Below are common types of headaches and how to manage them.

Migraine

Migraine is a common type of headache that is suffered by roughly 15% of the population. Symptoms include:

Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Sensitivity to light, and/or sound and smell

Causes of Migraine is currently unknown. This is a type of headache that can only be treated with medications. So, if you think you have migraine, see your local doctors!

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches can often be mistaken as migraine. Its symptoms include:
Dull aching headache

Sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head
Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles

Unlike migraine, tension headache is not usually associated with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light. And, unlike migraine, we know that tension headache is usually caused by increased contraction of muscles in the neck, shoulders, face, and scalp. It is thought that this is due to heightened emotions or stress. One of the best treatment we know is massage and postural correction.

Areas of Tension Headaches — Areas of pain for Tension Headache

Forward Head Posture — Forward head posture causes headache

Cervicogenic Headaches Pain Pattern — Pain Areas for Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic Headaches

Cervicogenic headache is a headache that is caused by a structural problem in the neck. This can be due to a car accident or injuries. However, we have witnessed an increase of people coming in with this kind of headache. The main cause of the structural problem in the neck that we have identified is forward head posture. With increasing use of mobile phones and computers, forward head posture has become much more prevalent. A direct consequence of that is we see more patients coming in with cervicogenic headache.

Symptoms of cervicogenic headache include:

Reduced neck range of motion
Pain or stiffness in the neck
Head pain from back of head extending to areas around the eye triggered by some neck movement

The best way to treat cervicogenic headache is physiotherapy. This is because physiotherapy can target the underlying structural issues in the neck which will solve the headache. Physiotherapy can also help you correct your postural issue which will prevent future recurrence of the issue. Starting exercises such as pilates is also helpful in making you more aware of your posture and correcting them. These are just 3 of the most common type of headaches that you may experience. If you don’t know which type you have, drop us a line or call us! Our friendly therapists will be more than happy to assist you. In the mean time, you can try this simple solution to relieve your headache shown in the video below. Also, check out our YouTube channel in order to find more tips and self-help solutions for your conditions.https://youtu.be/XMnPggW0_JE