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Find Lasting Relief from Headaches
Don’t let chronic headaches disrupt your life. Our customized physical therapy programs are designed to address the root cause of your pain, reduce frequency and intensity, and restore your daily comfort. Let our expert team help you take control and feel better, faster.
Move Freely, Live Comfortably:
Headache Relief That Targets the Source
Whether it’s concentrated in one area or spreading from one side of your head to the other, a headache is more than uncomfortable. For many people, headaches are a debilitating experiences that affect their daily lives, interfering with work, sleep and enjoying everyday moments.
While some might find relief with over-the-counter pain medications or resting in a cool, dark room, those strategies don’t always work – especially when the source is deeper. Issues like poor alignment, past injuries or underlying health conditions can affect the nervous system and elevate pain levels.
If you’ve developed chronic headaches, physical therapy may be a helpful next step to manage muscle spasms, poor posture or redirect pain signals. Here’s what you should know before your first session.
What Are Headaches?
“Headache” is a broad term that refers to nerve-related pain affecting the head and neck. These nerves can be affected by different sources:
- Mechanical Pain: A pinched, pulled or compressed nerve
- Chemical Pain: Inflammation or infection
- Temperature: A burn or exposure to extremely cold conditions
Most adult headaches fall into one of the following categories.
Muscle-Spasm Headaches
Also known as cervicogenic headaches, pain often starts at the base of your skull and travels over the top of the head, sometimes reaching behind the eyes. The skin may feel tight or as if something is pressing against it, with the intensity or location of pain changing whether you sit or stand.
These headaches are often triggered by poor posture, a jaw issue, arthritis, fatigue or stress. In all cases, these factors overwork the muscles, placing pressure on the nerves in the head and face. Muscle-spasm headaches are the most common type among adults.
Migraines
The second-most common headache type, migraines may be triggered by internal factors like chemical imbalances or environmental stimuli like bright lights or extreme temperatures. Migraines often involve more intense, throbbing pain and may lead to nausea, light sensitivity or visual disturbances.
Tension Headaches
Typically caused by alignment issues or mechanical stress in the neck or upper back, tension headaches often cause tightness or pressure across the head and on one or both sides.
Cluster Headaches
These headaches occur in cycles – short, intense bursts followed by periods of remission. During an episode, you may feel severe pain on one side of the head, often around the eye, and tearing or nasal discharge.
Cranial Neuralgias
These headaches result from irritation or damage to specific nerves in the head, face or neck. The pain may feel electric or shock-like and typically affects one side of the body. Triggers include stress, underlying neurological issues and external stimuli.
Secondary Headaches
Conditions like sinus infections, brain injuries, spinal issues and tumors may irritate the nervous system to trigger chronic, intermittent bouts of pain.
Physical Therapy Treatment
Physical therapy takes a two-fold approach to managing headaches: identifying the root cause and designing a treatment plan to minimize stress on the nerves.
Your first session will begin with an evaluation, including a review of your health history and current symptoms, to determine the cause of your headaches. Your physical therapist may test your posture, strength and range of motion, especially in the neck and shoulders. This assessment helps determine the source of your headaches and the best way to proceed.
Depending on your needs, treatment may include:
- Manual Therapy: Hands-on techniques help improve neck mobility, ease tight muscles and reduce the frequency of spasms.
- Passive Therapy: Methods like TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) to disrupt pain signals or dry needling to release stiff muscles and fascia that may be compressing nerves.
- Targeted Exercise: Strengthening the neck and upper back muscles to improve posture and relieve pressure on compressed nerves.
- Education and Prevention: Your physical therapist will help you identify potential triggers and make adjustments to your daily habits.
Benefits of Physical Therapy for Headaches
Physical therapy offers more than temporary relief. With consistent treatment, you may experience:
- Fewer and less intense headaches
- A reduced need for pain medication
- Improved posture, flexibility and nerve function
- More control over your body’s response to headache triggers
Take the First Step Toward Lasting Pain Relief!
Contact Integrated Rehab today for a personalized physical therapy consultation. Our experienced team can help you get to the root of your pain and find lasting relief.