You Don’t Have to Go Through Life with Chronic Headaches
Headaches are a common issue that can plague everyone from pre-teens to retirees. However, when recurrent tension or stress-related headaches make it difficult to get through your day, physical therapy may be needed in order to provide long-lasting pain relief.
Our experienced physical therapists have the skills needed to target the root cause of your headaches and to create a tailored treatment plan that is safe and effective. Are you tired of dealing with irritating and painful headaches? Keep reading to learn how you can benefit from physical therapy treatments!
Why am I experiencing stress-related headaches?
The most common type of headache experienced by teens and adults in the tension headache—which is sometimes referred to as a stress-related headache. This type of headache pain occurs when the scalp and neck muscles tense up and then contract.
If you experience tension headaches, you most likely feel the pain begin at the back of the neck before it climbs up to the top of the head and eventually causes pain and discomfort behind the eyes. It’s also common to experience tension headache pain in the cheeks, jaw, and even down into the shoulders.
Some common causes of a tension headache include:
- Arthritis
- Poor posture
- Anxiety and depression
- Fatigue
- Wearing hair pulled back tightly or sporting a tight hat
- Stress
Other common types of headaches that can cause recurring pain and discomfort include the sinus headache, caffeine headaches, migraines, hormonal headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and cluster headaches.
What can I expect from physical therapy treatments for stress-related headaches?
As stated by Choose PT, “There is effective treatment for almost every type of headache.”
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:
Active therapy treatments
- Range-of-motion exercises
- Low-impact aerobics
- Pain relief exercises
- Muscular releases
- Strengthening exercises
- Stretching
Passive therapy treatments
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Ultrasound
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS
- Ultrasound
- Massage therapy
- Alternating ice and heat therapies
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.
In addition to pain relief methods, you will gain additional benefits that to help improve your overall quality of life as well:
- Better Posture: Bad posture is really one of the leading causes of stress-related headaches. If you don’t enjoy good posture throughout the day, it is likely to lead to more generalized aches and pains, as well as the muscle tension that contributes to stress-related headaches.
- Improved Strength: Your therapist will teach you exercises to strengthen your neck and upper back, which will lead to improved posture. With better posture, you will be able to stand and sit longer without experiencing discomfort.
- Reduced Neck Tension: You will have better range of motion in your neck and reduced tension, thanks to manual physical therapy techniques applied to the muscles there.
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.
Relieve your stress-related headaches by scheduling an appointment today
If you or your loved one has been living with recurrent headaches, you can find quick and effective pain relief with regular physical therapy sessions.
Are you interested in learning more about the many benefits of physical therapy for stress-related/tension headaches? Contact Pittman Physical Therapy today and be sure to schedule an initial consultation with one of our friendly and highly trained physical therapists!
