Physiotherapy for Headaches
If you’ve ever suffered from headaches, whether for short periods or for an extended period of time, you know how debilitating they can be. You probably also know how they can inevitably put a stop to your day if they’re painful enough. And since diagnosis can be difficult to achieve, a good physiotherapist is essential to make sure you’re not spending endless hours in treatment with very little results. At Yellow Gazebo, our physiotherapists will get you feeling better quickly, or will refer you to another practitioner who can.
When is physiotherapy for headaches most needed?
First of all, knowing when persistent headaches are a cause for concern is key. Some key warning signs are:
- The quality or type of headaches you’ve been experiencing changes dramatically.
- Headaches that only start to develop after you’ve turned 50 years of age.
- A headache that’s unusually severe and difficult to manage.
- Headaches that accompany mood or personality changes.
- Headaches that accompany stroke symptoms, such as slurred speech or visual disturbances.
- Headaches that come on abruptly.
- Headaches after being hit in the head.
While it’s rare that headaches mean anything serious, be sure to heed these warnings signs - just to be safe. And once anything serious is ruled out, you’ll know that your physiotherapist can be an excellent resource for reducing, if not eliminating, your head pain.
What are the different types of headaches?
Tension and migraine headaches are most common, and the term “neck headache” is used a lot as well. However, scientists have named over 300 causes of headaches (eg sinus headaches); luckily migraine, tension-type and neck-type are most common, and can be treated.
Your headaches may also be called “primary” or “secondary,” the former meaning that they are not related to anything else, the latter meaning something else is causing them, such as caffeine withdrawal.
Finally, it’s important to know that headaches can come from multiple sources, for example neck and jaw tension as well as diet, as well as other sources such as barometric changes.
What is physiotherapy for headaches?
Seeing a physiotherapist at Yellow Gazebo is an excellent way to approach a proper diagnosis of your symptoms, and to get a treatment plan started. Some of the ways your physiotherapist might be able to help you with your headaches include:
- Improving your posture
- Relieving muscle tension
- Fixing muscle imbalances
- Fixing previous injuries
Some of the techniques your physiotherapist at YG might employ include joint mobilization, massage, stretching, strengthening, trigger point release, acupuncture, and more. The best reason to see a physiotherapist is because they are experts in how your body is meant to move, and they can not only work with you in the clinic, but can also prescribe the precise exercise regimen so that while at home you can speed up your recovery process.
To book your appointment with a physiotherapist at Yellow Gazebo click the online booking link below, call us at 416-909-2334, or email us at info@yellowgazeboclinic.com.
