Regain control of your life: say goodbye to headache pain!
Did you know that there is more than one kind of headache? Various types of headaches affect millions of individuals. Sinus headaches, hormone headaches, and migraines are just a few examples!
Several sorts of stress can also cause headaches. Stress-related headaches are, in fact, one of the most common headaches that people suffer from.
It’s critical to grasp the differences between stress headaches and other sorts, as we andasons for these headaches and how a physical therapist may help.
Request an appointment with Advantage Physical Therapy to learn more about how physical therapy can help relieve your headache pain, as well as stress management techniques to make your life easier!
What is a stress headache?
A stress-related headache is sometimes called a tension headache.
You might experience a dull, achy pain along your forehead or through the back of your head. The pain sometimes starts in the neck or shoulders and progresses through areas in the head.
Sometimes there may be aching or pain in the jaws and cheeks. During stressful situations, our bodies often go into fight or flight mode.
Certain chemicals in the brain can be released during this time that can cause various changes in the body that result in pain.
How can I know if I’m suffering from stress-related headaches?
Stress-related headaches vary widely in severity, although they’re rarely as debilitating as migraines. They tend to a generalized ache over a broad region of the head instead of attacking a specific area such as the eye (a trademark of another type of headache called a cluster headache).
There are several reasons that you may be suffering from a stress-related headache. Anxiety, fatigue, and general stress can all contribute to headaches.
Certain health-related conditions, including arthritis, can cause headaches. Even poor posture can contribute to stress-related headaches.
The tension that brings these kinds of headaches on may stem from emotional stress (if that emotional stress creates chronic neck tightness), but it may also be caused by:
- Repetitive motion or overuse from work or sports activities
- Secondary pain problems such as arthritis in the cervical spine
- Weak neck muscles that become fatigued easily
- “Text neck,” a strain disorder that occurs if you’re always drooping your head forward to look at your smartphone
Stress-related headaches that bother you for more than 15 days out of the month for three months or more are considered a chronic pain condition.
Experiencing increased amounts of stress can make muscles tense and cause your blood vessels to dilate. This can cause stress-related headaches and may make other types of headaches, such as migraines, even worse.
How does physical therapy help with headache pain?
Physical therapy might not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering treatment options for headaches.
However, it may be the ideal treatment if you’re experiencing tension or stress headaches.
A physical therapist at Advantage Physical Therapy will conduct a review of your medical history and perform a thorough evaluation of your current physical abilities and limitations.
A specific treatment plan will then be created to address your individual condition. It will be aimed at helping you find relief from headaches without the use of potentially addictive medication!
There are several specific ways that physical therapy can help reduce stress-related headaches.
- Stretching exercises. Stretching exercises can help loosen tight muscles and ligaments in your neck and back that are contributing to your headaches. Certain stretches may also strengthen muscles in your neck and back. You can reduce your neck and shoulders pressure as the muscles become stronger and more flexible.
- Heat and ice compression. Alternating between heat and cold therapy can often reduce muscle tension and stress. It not only reduces muscle strain but can provide immediate soothing relief.
- Lifestyle changes. A physical therapist can teach you new ways of sitting, standing, and even different ways to complete daily tasks to reduce the stress and tension that contributes to stress headaches. Over time, even improved posture may decrease the number of headaches you experience.
- Soft tissue mobilization. Massage and other types of manual therapy can often provide immediate relief from the pain associated with stress headaches. A physical therapist using the correct massage techniques can help prevent contractions in the shoulders, neck, and head that cause headaches.
What to expect in physical therapy treatment
Over-the-counter pain medicines may temporarily relieve the symptoms of stress-related headaches, but they do nothing to address the pressures and strains that cause the headaches to repeat.
Physical therapy is a fantastic place to start if you want a more long-term treatment. Our physical therapist will evaluate to determine whether you have tension headaches or another sort of headache that necessitates the care of a professional.
In addition to the techniques mentioned above, physical therapy strategies for treating tension headaches include:
- Exercises strengthen your neck muscles, allowing them to hold the weight of your head more evenly and with less strain.
- Postural and ergonomic advice to help you get rid of any bad habits that might be causing “text neck.”
- Flexibility exercises, manual therapy, heat therapy, and/or ice therapy.
- Stress reduction measures such as yoga, lifestyle changes, and advice on reducing common stress triggers in your life.
Request an appointment with a specialist today
If you’re struggling with stress-related headaches, an individual physical therapy plan may be able to reduce or even eliminate your headache pain.
You’ll want to contact a physical therapist who can help alleviate your headaches and get you on the path to a pain-free life.
