Ouch! Why does my head hurt?

Author: Julia and Vanessa

Headaches are a common issue physiotherapists deal with in the clinic. It is a pain located in the face, head or neck. Listed below are the primary types of headaches. Understanding your symptoms and being able to describe what you are feeling can help your physiotherapist determine the best treatment plan for you.

1. Tension headaches:

These feel like mild to moderate pressure or tightness around the head. They are often inked to tightness in the neck and shoulder muscles and are often exacerbated by stress,inadequate sleep and poor sustained postures.

2. Migraines:

These are commonly described as a severe headache that causes throbbing or pulsing pain on one side of the head. Common symptoms experienced include nausea, light, or sound sensitivity. Triggers include hormonal changes, certain foods and drinks (such as alcohol, caffeine and artificial sweeteners), stress and excessive exercise.

3. Cluster headaches:

These are one sided headaches (normally located around the eye socket) and are classified as severe and short lived often occurring daily from months at a time. Common symptoms associated with these headaches include nasal discharge and red and teary eyes.

4. Cervicogenic headaches

These are the most common type of headache that physiotherapists treat as they originate from tension in the upper neck and can be localised to the back of the head or radiate up to the forehead or eye socket unilaterally. Triggers include neck movements and poor sustained postures.

Physiotherapy can help people experiencing headaches. Their manual therapy skills can help reduce muscle tension and joint stiffness while their prescribed exercises can help improve neck and upper back strength. They will also teach you strategies to manage your triggers which often results in less pain and improved day to day comfort and quality of life.

Feel free to book an assessment with one of our physiotherapists to discuss your headaches!