Headaches and Migraines

Headaches are a really common complaint, and although for some they may be short-lived, for others they can be far more debilitating and long term.

Headaches occur for many reasons: from tension in the muscles of the neck, head and upper back to postural stresses to eye strain and even sinus congestion. They can be tension type headaches or migraines which involve changes in blood flow to the head and are often preceded by one or more triggers (sadly chocolate is often a culprit).

By addressing the various tensions in your back and neck, osteopathy can help improve your posture and even improve your way of breathing to increase oxygen flow. Sometimes work posture has a significant role, especially for people who are sitting a lot throughout the day. Small changes to your workplace setup, or micro breaks with stretching specific to your needs can make a lot of difference to the the way you feel at the end of the day, as well as preventing the onset or frequency of headaches.

Often we see headaches develop after a fall or injury, even one which didn’t involve the head. When you have an injury, your body tries very hard to keep your head from hitting the deck, and in doing so can often strain neck and back muscles. You may not even notice these strains at first, but as your initial injury recovers you find you are left with headaches.

Migraines are a bit trickier than headaches, and prevention largely lies in avoiding the triggers. Many people have migraines triggered by chocolate, alcohol, medications, stress, and some are also triggered by exercise and hormonal fluctuations. The improvements in muscle balance, posture and circulation resulting from osteopathic treatment can often reduce the frequency or intensity of migraines, and minimise their disruption to your life and/or the amount of medication you need.