Headaches and migraines can be debilitating. They can keep you from enjoying the activities that matter most to you, whether that is caring for your family, going to school, hitting the treadmill, or just getting through a typical day. This article explains different types of headaches and what Body Gears can do to help.
Body Gears Physical Therapy takes your headache and migraine pain seriously. All patients undergo a thorough evaluation at their first appointment to determine the mechanical components that may be contributing to their pain, whether this is trigger points, tight muscles, stiff joints, poor posture, harmful movements, or nerve irritation. Your Body Gears Physical Therapist will communicate with your physician, chiropractor, and other practitioners while considering your concerns to design a customized treatment plan to address your pain. During your course of physical therapy, your PT will teach you posture changes, movement modifications, and exercises to help you maintain your gains from our manual physical therapy treatment both in between appointments and in preparation for discharge.
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Headache:
There is a positive correlation between moderate to severe headaches and jaw pain from the TMJ. The jaw, the first vertebrae of the neck (C1), and the bones of the skull are located in very close in proximity. When there is poor positioning of the jaw or excessive repetitive forces on the jaw from clenching the teeth, the jaw can refer pain into the head.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Hands on mobilization of jaw muscles and the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
- Release trigger points in the muscles that control jaw movement and chewing
- Correction of C1 bony positioning
- Realignment of the vertebrae in the neck
- Exercises specific to the jaw and neck to improve movement
Sinus Headache:
Migraines with sinus symptoms are often misdiagnosed as a sinus headache. Sinus headaches that are coming from sinus problems can be caused by sinus infection, trauma (such as a nose or facial fracture), sleep disorders, individual anatomical differences, and other diseases.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Mobilization of the bones of the skull if the underlying cause is a facial fracture, skull fracture, or other trauma
- Instruction in sleep hygiene and pillow positioning
- Postural re-education to improve positioning of the head and neck
Cluster Headache:
A cluster headache is on one side of the face and is typically located around the eye. It can occur with autonomic symptoms from the body’s flight or fight response, including a red eye on the affected side, tear production, constricted pupil, drooping eyelid, dripping or congested nose, and sweating. This may be the most excruciating and disabling type of headache. This headache can last from a few minutes to a few hours and sometimes can become a chronic condition lasting several months.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Manual clearance of nerve roots and blood vessels to decrease compression on these structures
- Mobilization of cranium and spinal cord dura paired with nerve gliding movements
- Postural retraining in sitting, standing, and driving to improve neck alignment and to decrease muscle holding patterns
- Retraining in dynamic functional movements to decrease muscle over-activation
Tension Headache:
A tension headache is the most common headache with 70-80% of people experiencing at least one tension headache during their lifetime. The sensation of a tension headache can be described as a rubber band squeezing the head. The exact cause of tension type headaches is debated, however, the cause may lie in increased psychological stress as well as increased muscular activation of the muscles of the face and scalp. This headache can last from a few hours to several days.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Soft tissue mobilization and trigger point release to decrease muscular activation in the muscles of the face and scalp
- Release of superficial fascia at the skull
- Postural retraining in sitting, standing, and driving to decrease muscle holding patterns
- Retraining in dynamic functional movements to decrease muscle over-activation
Neck/Cervicogenic Headache:
A cervicogenic headache is pain from the neck that refers to the head. The cause of a cervicogenic headache can be related to mechanical stress on the muscles, joints, discs, or nerves in the neck. A cervicogenic headache can feel like throbbing pain at the back or base of the skull, which may radiate to the forehead. The pain can also refer downward toward the shoulder blades.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Soft tissue mobilization and trigger point release to decrease muscle tension
- Realignment of vertebrae in the neck
- Manual clearance of nerve roots and blood vessels to decrease compression on these structures
- Postural retraining in sitting, standing, and driving to improve neck alignment and to decrease muscle holding patterns
- Retraining in dynamic functional movements to decrease muscle over-activation
Migraine Headache:
Migraines can be triggered by many factors, both external and internal to the individual. External triggers can be strong smells (like perfumes), certain foods, bright or fluorescent lights, exercise, or dehydration. Internal triggers include a change in sleep patterns, periods of stress, and the menstrual cycle in females. Identifying triggers are an important part of learning to prevent and cope with migraines.
A typical migraine affects one side of the head. It can feel like throbbing pain like the head has a heartbeat and can occur with light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, smell sensitivity, weakness, numbness or tingling, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or vision changes. Some individuals experience an aura with their migraine, which is called an ocular migraine. An aura can be perceived as a halo around lights, flashing lights, shapes, blind spots in the vision, or psychedelic vision changes.
Treatment at Body Gears Physical Therapy:
- Manual clearance of nerve roots and blood vessels to decrease compression on these structures
- Mobilization of cranium and spinal cord dura paired with nerve gliding movements
- Postural retraining in sitting, standing, and driving to improve neck alignment and to decrease muscle holding patterns
- Retraining in dynamic functional movements to decrease muscle over-activation
- Education on common migraine triggers and prevention
Call Body Gears Physical Therapy today at (877) 709-1090 to schedule an appointment with one of our Physical Therapists to take charge of your headache and migraine pain.
Authored By: Dr. Lindsay Jana PT, DPT, Women’s Health Specialist
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References:
- Troeltzsch M, Troeltzsch M, Cronin R, Brodine A, Frankenberger R, Messlinger K. Prevalence and association of headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders, and occlusal interferences. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 2011;105(6):410-417. doi:10.1016/s0022-3913(11)60084-x.
- Cady RSchreiber C. Sinus problems as a cause of headache refractoriness and migraine chronification. Current Pain and Headache Reports. 2009;13(4):319-325. doi:10.1007/s11916-009-0051-8.
- Diagnosis and management of headaches in young people and adults: summary of NICE guidance. BMJ. 2012;345(sep28 3):e6598-e6598. doi:10.1136/bmj.e6598.
- 2017. Available at: https://migraine.com/pro/clinical-features-migraine-symptoms/. Accessed February 15, 2017.
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