Most people suffer from the occasional headache but when these occur too frequently or become severe it is time to seek help. Can we help with headaches? The answer is a qualified 'yes' depending on the type of headache.
- Tension Headache. This is the common type of headache and may feel like a tight band round the head, or pressure at the temples or behind the eyes or head. Your neck and shoulder muscles may feel tight. It is related to stress, eye strain, and poor posture which may restrict blood flow to muscles.
- Migraine. More severe and often described as pounding, throbbing pain. It can last from a few hours to several days and may cause difficulty in carrying out the actions of daily life. Other symptoms such as sensitivity to light, noise, or odours and there may be nausea, stomach upset or abdominal pain. A migraine may be triggered by certain foods such as chocolate, cheese or caffeine. Other triggers are diet, activity, environment, emotions, medications and hormonal changes during menstruation.
- Other headaches. There are many other types of headache including sinus and cluster headaches as well as secondary headaches associated with an underlying medical condition. Not all can be helped by osteopathic treatment.
What to Expect
After discussing your medical history we will carry out a thorough examination to determine the cause of your headaches. We will try and identify any triggers that may be involved.
We may diagnose your headaches as being due to poor posture or imbalance in the structure of your body. If they are initiated by stress we can help by increasing your feeling of relaxation. Often we will use our hands on your soft tissues to rebalance your body structure and advise you on how to alter your posture in order to retain this balance.
For migraines treatment may include methods to increase the blood supply to your brain to reduce the number of migraines you experience. We may suggest changes to your posture during your episodes to reduce the pain.