Stress-Related Headaches Can Be Bothersome – Fortunately, PT Can Help

Stress-Related Headaches Can Be Bothersome – Fortunately, PT Can Help Discover Relief for Your Headaches Today! 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 to provide long-lasting pain relief. Physical therapy can help you overcome stress-related headaches. In fact, as stated by Choose PT,  “There is an effective treatment for almost every type of headache.” Working with a physical therapist can help you identify tension-reducing exercises and help you find long-term relief from headaches without the need to rely on pain medication. Our innovative care strategies at Chesterton Physical Therapy will help you find quick relief. Our experienced physical therapists have the skills needed to target the root cause of your headaches. Additionally, they can create a tailored treatment plan that is safe and effective. Tired of dealing with irritating and painful headaches? Keep reading to learn how to benefit from physical therapy. Why am I experiencing headaches? The most common type of headache experienced by adolescents and adults in tension headaches—sometimes referred to as stress-related headaches. This type of headache occurs when the muscles of the scalp and neck are tensed and then contracted. Stress is the easy answer to this question, but in reality, it’s a lot more complicated than that. Stress can manifest itself in all kinds of ways; however, finding ways to deal with stress is not always an option. Stress can build from a wide range of activities, and some of those activities may be things that you really enjoy doing, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t weigh on you, creating an added level of pressure that can manifest in painful headaches. If you have tension headaches, you will most likely feel that the pain begins at the back of your neck before it rises to the top of your head and eventually causes pain and discomfort behind your eyes. It’s also common to experience tension headache pain in your cheeks, jaw, and even down your shoulders. Some common causes of a tension headache include: Anxiety and depression Fatigue Arthritis Poor posture Hair pulled back tightly Stress Other common types of headaches that may cause recurrent pain and discomfort include sinus headaches, caffeine headaches, migraine headaches, hormonal headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and cluster headaches. Stress is a common trigger for tension and migraine headaches. Rather than stressing ways you can avoid stress, it may be more helpful to think about strategies that will help ease headaches once you develop—as well as stress-reduction techniques that may prevent stress from reaching your head first. How can a physical therapist help? 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 Therapies Range-of-motion exercises Low-impact aerobics Pain relief exercises Muscular releases Strengthening exercises Stretching Passive Therapies Soft tissue mobilization Ultrasound Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS Ultrasound Massage therapy Alternating heat and ice therapy 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. 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 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. Consult with a physical therapist today! If you or your loved one have had recurrent headaches, you can find quick and effective pain relief with regular physical therapy. Are you interested in learning more about the many benefits of physical therapy for tension headaches? Call us today or visit our office in Chesterton, IN and be sure to schedule an initial consultation with one of our friendly physical therapists!

Dealing With Stress-Related Headaches? Physical Therapy Can Help.

Dealing With Stress- related Headaches? Physical Therapy Can Help. Have you ever seen someone at work or in a difficult situation holding their head? What was your first initial thought? Most of us would assume either that they’re under extreme stress, or that they have a headache. In fact, you may be right on both counts. Both physical and emotional stress can cause tension headaches. They can also trigger cervicogenic and migraine headaches, both of which can leave you effectively disabled for the remainder of your day. You may struggle with chronic or recurring headache pain yourself, and if you do, you’re probably tired of taking pain-relieving medication all the time just to be able to do things you want to do. Maybe it’s time you found a better answer by consulting with a licensed physical therapist about your pain. Physical therapy can ease your headache symptoms by treating their underlying causes, giving you a safer, more sustainable headache management strategy. How does stress cause headaches? Emotional stress and physical stress go hand in hand, with either capable of causing or aggravating the other. Being in stressful situations can cause muscles to tighten up as the body goes into “fight or flight” mode. When tightness affects the small muscles at the base of the skull (such as the RCPM muscle in the neck) those muscles may pull on a pain-sensitive membrane in the head called the dura mater. The dura mater responds by sending out waves of pain, giving you a classic tension headache. Headaches that begin in the neck are referred to as “cervicogenic headaches.” These headaches are often caused by imbalances or alignment problems in the cervical spine. These imbalances place the neck muscles under physical stress, producing both headaches and neck pain. Emotional stress can also play a role in cervicogenic headaches, since the muscle tightness they create can help to pull the neck out of alignment. Migraines are the most dreaded of headaches, and knowing that someone has one is sure to make you wince if you’ve ever experienced one yourself. In fact, a migraine attack may go far beyond the crushing headache it is notorious for producing, causing symptoms such as: Sound and/or light sensitivity Faintness Nausea and vomiting Visual distortions known as “auras” While it’s hard to pin down the underlying causes behind migraines, many of the triggers are well known. Stress, various foods, bright lights, loud sounds, weather changes, and hormonal swings can cause migraines, as well as physical overexertion or emotional strain. How physical therapy can relieve stress-related headaches While pain-relieving drugs such as NSAIDs (Aleve, Tylenol, ibuprofen) can relieve the occasional headache, what they can’t do is address the stresses that lead to chronic headache problems. For that level of relief, you need to see a physical therapist. Our physical therapist will conduct a thorough evaluation that includes an examination of your neck and cervical spine, discussion of your symptoms, and analysis of lifestyle factors that may be sources of stress. This background allows us to create a headache management program largely rooted in the management of stress and its effects. Your physical therapy treatment program may include: Chiropractic adjustments to correct cervical spinal alignment Ergonomic adjustments such as changing your computer monitor height (to prevent constant neck droop) Mindfulness exercises such as yoga to help you add more serenity to your daily life Suggestions for changing or sleep position or trying a different kind of pillow Dry needling to ease stress-induced tension and pain Massage therapy to relax tight neck muscles Exercises to limber up your neck or strengthen your neck muscles Other causes of stress-related headaches There may be a physical cause behind your stress-related headaches. An accident or injury to the neck or back can contribute to headaches. Poor posture and arthritis are two other potential causes. Depression and anxiety are similar emotions to stress that can also lead to headaches. In general, you can expect stretching and strength training to be part of your treatment. The treatment of your stress-related headaches will depend in part on the diagnosis. For example, one course of treatment that would work for correcting your posture and strengthening the neck muscles might not be appropriate if your headaches are the result of a past injury. Other options that your physical therapist might employ can include: McKenzie therapies Cervical traction Body mobilization Hot and cold compressions Soft tissue mobilization Besides the treatment you will receive during your physical therapy sessions at the clinic, your therapist will also recommend exercises, stretches, and lifestyle changes that you can make at home, which will all contribute to eliminating your headaches. Contact our clinic to schedule a consultation with a physical therapist If you can conquer your stress, you may just conquer your chronic headaches as well! To learn more about this natural, drug-free method for headache relief, get in touch with our physical therapy clinic today!