Headaches

There are many causes of headaches not to mention types. the range includes migraine headaches, tension headaches, cluster headaches and exhaustion headaches. Perhaps the most common types of headache we treat regularly is cervicogenic headache (CH).

At The Physicaltherapy Centre, our treatment of CH is individualised to the patient, and usually involves a combination of therapies.

CH are headaches caused by a disorder of the neck and usually are accompanied by neck pain.

The typical features of a CH include unilateral (one sided) head pain that does not shift from side to side, pain is aggravated by external pressure on the same side of the upper neck, the neck may have limited range of motion and the headaches may be triggered by neck movements or sustained postures.

A significant 2016 study compared upper cervical (neck) and upper thoracic (upper back) manipulation/adjustments (high velocity low amplitude thrust techniques ) against mobilisations (slow, rhythmical, oscillating techniques). They found that the adjustment group had a greater reduction in neck pain and a larger decrease in headache intensity, frequency and duration when compared to the mobilisation group.The full article is attached at the bottom of this page.

Practitioners at The Physicaltherapy Centre use of mix of massage, ART, dry needling, rehabilitation exercises and adjustments (where appropriate) in the treatment of headaches. For a full list of services available at our practice please visit our services page.

*DISCLAIMER: This discussion does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained in this discussion are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this discussion is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this blog.