(516) 679-2225
In June 2018, the U.S. government officially recognized National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month as a national health observance to raise awareness of a problem that affects millions. While people suffering from these conditions are all too aware of them, it’s important that you understand the causes and potential relief for these conditions.
What Therapy Is Best for Headaches?
The best therapy is one you’ve worked with a health professional to determine what is best for your specific situation. However, while many people reach for over-the-counter and prescription medications for headaches, that’s often insufficient, especially for migraines. Discovering the cause of the headache is essential for long-term relief.
Chiropractic care can often treat headaches, and the first step is to diagnose the pain to create an effective treatment plan. In some cases, doctor-prescribed antidepressants and muscle relaxants may be necessary for certain types of chronic or frequent headaches. Other therapies used to treat headaches include:
- Applying a heating or ice pack to the pained area
- Managing your stress better
- Correcting subluxations
- Improving your posture.
Does Physical Therapy Work for Headaches?
A cervicogenic headache is a type of headache where the pain stems from the spine and neck area and radiates outwards to other areas, such as the back, top, or sides of the head. Physical therapy, with or without chiropractic care, is a common treatment for those who experience these types of headaches.
There is typically an exam by a professional physical therapist who will determine an assessment of your range of motion of your head and neck, your joint mobility, the tightness in your muscles, tenderness or trigger points, and more. The physical therapist will then create a plan specific to your needs, and may likely use manual therapy techniques to decrease pain and improve movement of your head and neck.
People suffering from a suboccipital headache (a headache stemming from tension in a muscle group at the base of the skull) have found relief through acupuncture and massage.
Can the Graston Technique® Help Migraines?
Migraines are a type of headache that causes severe throbbing pain or a pulsing feeling on one side of the head or the other. There is usually a feeling of nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and possibly vomiting. Some people experience something akin to a warning symptom, known as an aura, before the migraine strikes.
People can experience chronic migraines. If you experience this, you should take notes of when these attacks happen and then see your doctor about them. Often disregarded as “just a bad headache,” migraines often go undiagnosed and untreated.
Using the Graston Technique® for migraines is potentially helpful as its goal is to help stretch and repair connective tissues and improve blood flow around the areas in which it is applied. The technique has been known to decrease headache frequency and duration.
Can the Graston Technique® Help Tension Headaches?
A tension headache is a mild to moderate pain that some people describe as similar to a tight band around the head. These are the most common types of headaches and can be caused by stress and tight muscles.
Using the Graston Technique® for tension headaches is a great idea because one of the method’s main goals is treating injured soft tissue (like muscles) to encourage healing and flexibility.
East Bay Chiropractic Wellness Can Address Your Headache Pain
The East Bay Chiropractic Wellness, P.C. team has decades of experience treating headache pain. Call (516) 679-2225 or contact us online to find out how we can help you get the relief you seek.
