With people working from home, there has been a drastic increase in the number of people suffering from frequent and chronic headaches. One fact that many people do not know is that physical therapy can help treat them!
There are several causes of headaches, but many are being caused by tight neck and head muscles, poor posture, and an increase in stress. These are all areas that can be addressed with physical therapy!
One of the most common muscles that are responsible for frequent headaches is the upper trapezius. This muscle is responsible for raising your shoulders, turning your head, and looking up. When this muscle is tight or overactive, it can cause a headache.
Another muscle that can commonly cause headaches is the levator scapulae. This muscle is responsible for elevating the shoulder blades and can also help with side bending the head (ear to shoulder). When this muscle is chronically tight and has increased tension it can cause a headache in a cervicogenic pattern. With these headaches the pain is located mainly behind the eye and can radiate into the ear.
Physical Therapy is a great treatment option for chronic headaches following these patterns. We can help by performing various manual therapy techniques such as soft tissue massage, graston/scraping, and even dry needling to help get these chronically tight muscles to relax.
Another key treatment for these conditions is to strengthen the antagonistic muscles, which are the ones that oppose the chronically tight upper trap or levator scapulae. Strengthening these muscles can help oppose the constant tension that is causing the headaches, and can even help correct your posture!
If you are someone who suffers from chronic headaches, schedule an evaluation and our team of therapists will be able to tell if we can help you overcome these chronic headaches and get back to living your life without pain!
