Headaches and migraines

Headaches are extremely common and can be debilitating. Our goal is to understand the cause of your headache to give you relief and rule to out any causes that may require referral for further investigation. There are many different causes and types of headaches and it is important you see someone who has a thorough understanding of this so you are helped in the most appropriate way based on current evidence and guidelines. It is thought that irritation or inflammation of the pain-sensitive structures in the head and neck can be a common cause of headaches.

There are several distinct types of headaches: tension-type headache, migraine headache, cervicogenic headache (neck-related headache) which can all be helped by our osteos, physios and massage therapists. There are some other types of headaches which can have more serious underlying causes and if we suspect any of these varieties, we refer for scans and often to GP’s and specialists for further investigation.

Treatment for headaches may include hands-on techniques to reduce tension and restrictions of the muscles and joints around the head, neck, shoulders, back and jaw. Other factors can be important in the management of headaches which we assess and can help you manage are: triggers such as diet/food, exercise, stress, hormonal influences, medication rebound and repetitive postural and work habits.