WHAT CAUSES HEADACHES?

There are over 200 types of headaches. But some of the most common headache causes are listed below;

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TENSION HEADACHES

Tension headaches cause a dull aching pain, tightness, or pressure at the front of the head or the back of the neck. Some people describe it as a “clamp squeezing the skull”. Often called stress headaches, they’re the most common type for adults.

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There are two types:

Episodic- these occur less than 15 days per month, can last from 30 minutes to a few days and often in the middle of the day.

Chronic-  these headaches happen more than 15 days a month and they come and go over a longer period of time. The pain may get stronger or ease up throughout the day, but it’s almost always there.

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CERVICOGENIC HEADACHES

In many places in the body, nerves run under muscles. When these muscles contract and increase in tone, they can put pressure on these nerves. The most common example of this is at the buttock, where the sciatic nerve runs underneath the piriformis muscle.

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MIGRAINES

A migraine is a powerful headache that often causes a triage of symptoms; nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. They can last from 4 hours to 3 days and women are 3 times more like to suffer from migraines than men.

There is a lot that is unknown about why we get migraines, but there is a strong Family History link. You can even inherit the triggers that give you migraine headaches, like fatigue, bright lights, weather changes, and others.

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THUNDERCLAP HEADACHE

Some headaches do have more serious medical concerns linked to them. Thunderclap headaches are severe in pain and often cause nausea, dizziness and vomiting.  They come on extremely quickly, and last for a few minutes. They are a medical emergency and it is recommended you seek immediate medical attention if you are experiencing them.

 

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HOW DO OSTEOPATHS HELP WITH HEADACHES?

Many find seeing an Osteopath a great form of treatment for Headaches.

Firstly, treating the surrounding muscles, joints and the posture at the neck can resolve Cervicogenic and Tension Headaches. Once the area causing the Tension headache is diagnosed, your Osteopath will use massage, stretching and mobilisation technique to release the tissue.

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We then create a personalised exercise plan to support your recovery. The treatment plan includes a plan of stretching, strengthening and regaining full mobility. Your Osteopath will also help you make long term changes to help the area from triggering headaches again.

 

Your Osteopath will also be able to diagnose what type of Headache you are suffering with, ruling out more serious headache (like Thunderclap Headaches).

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