Health Tips
Headaches
Headache is one of the most common illnesses in Australia, with around 15 percent of us taking painkillers for a headache at any given time.
Because headaches are so common, most people think they are a normal part of life. However, a persistent headache is a sign that something is wrong.
The continual use of pain medication to combat headaches is akin to removing the warning light that alerts you to a problem in your car!
Medication doesn’t solve your headache, it simply offers a short term solution to dull the pain.
Types of Headache
Tension headaches and migraine are the most common forms of headache and cluster headaches are most rare. Other types of headache include sinus headache, rebound headache and exertion headache.
Causes of Headache
Headaches can result due to a variety of reasons including stress, poor posture, accidents, medications, environmental factors such as strong odours & pollution and dietary irregularities. Perhaps one of the most overlooked causes of migraine and tension headache is due to nerve irritation in the upper neck caused by poorly functioning spinal joints – This is called Vertebral dysfunction. Since the nerves of the upper neck supply areas of the scalp and face, irritation to these nerves can and often lead to headache.
Assessment of Headache
Your physiotherapist will carefully analyse potential headache triggers and perform a detailed history, orthopaedic, neurological and spinal examination to determine the cause of your headache. Further diagnostic testing such as XRay or MRI may also be required. Upon arriving at a specific diagnosis, your care can begin.
Relief From Headache
Your physiotherapist will carefully analyse potential headache triggers and perform a detailed history, orthopaedic, neurological and spinal examination to determine the cause of your headache. Further diagnostic testing such as XRay or MRI may also be required. Upon arriving at a specific diagnosis, your care can begin.
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