Headaches: Can Physiotherapy Help You?

As the Eskimo Joe song goes, you wake up some days and your head hurts. And if you’ve started reading this blog post, then there’s a very strong chance that you’re one of the many people who suffers from some sort of headache.

Headaches are so common that according to the World Health Organisation, 1 in every 2 people worldwide experiences a headache each year. And anyone who has had one can attest to how debilitating this all-too-common issue can be. Maybe you’ve seen a doctor to investigate the cause of your headache.  Perhaps they’ve prescribed you some medication to manage it or you’ve tried taking Panadol or Nurofen to take the edge off. But are there other ways of managing headaches? Could physiotherapy be a suitable option?

What types of headaches are there?

Many different types of headaches exist, including migraines, tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, and medication-overuse headaches, but not all of them originate from the head itself.  Some headaches originate from problems in the neck or cervical spine, such as cervical joint, cervical disc, or associated neck muscle issues. The pain is often referred to the head from the neck, meaning the source of the pain is in the neck, but it is felt in the head, and this is known as a cervicogenic headache. This type of headache is considered a secondary headache and is often mistaken for other types of headaches due to overlapping symptoms. In fact, many of the types of headaches mentioned above can have a neck-related component associated with them.

What causes cervicogenic headaches?

Many different factors can contribute to cervicogenic headaches, and these include:

• Neck Injuries: Trauma to the neck can lead to headaches symptoms, such as whiplash from a car accident or getting hit in the neck area by a fast-moving object.
• Poor Posture: Prolonged poor posture, especially while sitting at a desk or using electronic devices, can cause strain on the neck muscles and joints.
• Degenerative Conditions: Conditions like osteoarthritis (wear & tear on joints in the body over time) or degenerative disc disease (wear & tear on the discs in between the bones of the spine) can affect the neck and lead to headaches.
• Muscle Tension: Chronic tension in the neck muscles, such as tightness caused by lack of movement or tension brought on by stress, can also be a significant factor.

Where do cervicogenic headaches present?

Most people who suffer from cervicogenic headaches report that their headache presents on one side of the head, but it’s not uncommon to find headache pain on both sides. Some people report that their headache can move from one side of the head to the other, but this is usually due to headache pain being present on both sides and the two sides varying in intensity – the higher intensity side is usually the one that gets reported.

The most common areas of pain are at the back of the head, the temple area, the forehead, behind the eyebrows, and behind the eyes. Some cervicogenic headaches will present in one of these areas only, some will move from one area to another at different times, and some will be present in more than one of these areas at a time.

How painful can cervicogenic headaches get?

Cervicogenic headaches can vary on a broad scale of intensity.  Some people describe a very mild headache, such as a fogginess or cloudiness around one’s head. Some describe a moderate intensity headache, like background noise that makes it hard to concentrate. And some even describe an intensity severe enough to stop you from being able to do the things that you need or want to do.

How long can a cervicogenic headache last for, and how often do they come on?

Like location and intensity, the duration of a cervicogenic headache can vary quite a bit, ranging from minutes to hours and even for days.  Similarly, the frequency of these headaches can vary as well – some might last for an hour, some might last for a day, and some can last for longer than a day.

What other symptoms might present with a cervicogenic headache?

Aside from the headache pain itself, the most common symptoms that people report with a cervicogenic headache are pain, tightness & stiffness in the neck. This includes reduced range of movement in the neck when looking up, down and turning the head, and tightness in muscles associated with the neck. Many people will report that certain neck positions and movements will trigger their headache. Some will even report that reducing tightness and stiffness in the neck, through strategies like stretching or applying heat to the neck, will provide relief from their headaches.

So, can physiotherapy help with a cervicogenic headache?

If this sounds like the type of headache that you’re experiencing, then physiotherapy CAN help.  Even people with long histories of intermittent cervicogenic headaches (some measuring in decades!) have found relief through physiotherapy management.  Here at Backfocus Physiotherapy on LaTrobe Street, we provide a thorough assessment to identify the main causes of your headache and determine if it is indeed a cervicogenic headache.  If it is, then we can provide a physiotherapy management plan to treat your headaches, and this is likely to include:

• Manual Therapy: Hands-on treatment to address the identified causes of the headache (the joints and muscles in the neck) and provide symptomatic relief (reduced headache pain, reduced muscular tightness & joint stiffness, improved neck range of movement).
• Stretches: Targeted exercises to reduce muscular tightness & tension, and to help maintain the effects of manual therapy.
• Strengthening Exercises: If poor posture is contributing to the headaches, then exercises to improve postural strength & endurance will be provided.
• Self-Management Strategies: If appropriate, you may be taught self-treatment techniques to assist with managing headache pain.
• Education: A clear explanation of both major and minor causes of your headache, how the treatment plan will address these causes, and any preventative measures that can be adopted to reduce or avoid aggravation of the headache.

Can physiotherapy help with other types of headaches?

Even if the main cause of your headache isn’t cervicogenic, your physiotherapist at Lifecare Backfocus Physiotherapy on LaTrobe Street can determine whether there is a neck-related component to your headache and if physiotherapy treatment could help you with managing your headaches.

So, book an appointment and let us see if we can help clear your head!

Ryan Sweeney

Principal Physiotherapist

Ryan Sweeney is the Practice Principal of Lifecare Backfocus Physiotherapy on Level 17 / 300 LaTrobe Street.  He has over 19 years of clinical experience and has treated dozens of headache patients through manual therapy, exercise & self-management strategies.