Have you complained of headaches that pound behind one eye? Have you felt pressure at the front or the back of your head for hours that goes away with a Tylenol?
There are different reasons one individual could have headaches:
- Sinus issues,
- Blood pressure issues,
exertion, - Migraines,
- Muscle tension in the neck and shoulders,
- Whiplash injuries and
- Concussions.
Differential diagnoses are important to determine the cause and find the best treatment route.
Physiotherapy cannot help if headaches are related to blood pressure, hormones, or other
hematological issues. Your medical practitioners will need to take time to diagnose while you focus on
exercising to improve general circulation and well-being in tolerance. Your physiotherapists can guide
you through that. On the other hand, when physiotherapists notice a headache is not caused by
reasons that are within the scope of physiotherapy practice, physiotherapists will refer you to your
medical practitioner as well for further investigation.
The easiest and fastest way to rule out tension headaches is to see a physiotherapist for an assessment and determine if the headache is related to the muscles and postural issues.
When we slouch at the desk or during driving, we develop a forward head posture and rounded thoracic spine. Over time, the muscles become weakened, shortened, and possibly hardened and fixate our bone structure at a
position that is far from optimal. That is the modern disease that we see most often nowadays from
prolonged sitting. When our chin protrudes forward, the small muscles at the base of the skull attaching
to the top portion of the neck can become so tight and cause severe pressure on the nerves leading into
our face, behind the eye, and general head area. That creates headaches. It is possible to use over-the-
counter pain medication to reduce headaches. However, medications do not alter your posture, correct
muscle tightness, and do not eliminate headaches in the long term.
Having good body biomechanics and ergonomics is important to combat poor posture leading to
headaches or other spinal issues. Having good flexibility and strength in the muscle groups along the
spine will help us to maintain an upright position without getting fatigued early and subsequently
slouching. Physiotherapists can help you to gain proper flexibility and strength in the targeted area by
conducting a detailed assessment and personalized treatment to address your issues and help you
maintain good posture for a longer period. Your physiotherapists could also discuss simple strategies
that may work for your particular situation to maintain a good posture and prevent fatigue more easily.
Whiplash and concussion related headaches can benefit from physiotherapy as well. Whiplash and
concussion injuries could cause our neck muscles to tighten and the swelling or bruising around the
brain from being shaken could create pressure inside the skull to cause headaches. In mild to moderate
cases, hands-on gentle myofascial release treatment to reduce the tension around the brain and the
neck could reduce the headaches. Regular prescriptive exercises could also help to address the issues of
weakness and tightness caused by the injury.
