If stress-related headaches are happening so frequently that they are impacting your daily life, it’s time to start thinking about physical therapy for relief. Stress-related headaches, also called tension headaches, are the most common type of headache that impacts people.
While they are not as serious as migraines, tension headaches are a sign that something in your body is “off.” Our in-home physical therapists can work with you to determine the cause and eliminate stress-related headaches for good.
The ultimate goal of your at-home physical therapy regimen will be to eliminate your stress-related headache – all from the comfort of your own home. However, in addition to relief, you will gain additional benefits that will likely improve your overall quality of life:
The treatment of your stress-related headache will depend in part on the diagnosis. For example, one course of treatment that would work for correcting your posture and strengthening the neck muscles might not be appropriate if your headaches are the result of a past injury.
In general, you can expect stretching and strength training to be part of your in-home treatments. Other options that your physical therapist might employ can include:
Aside from your physical therapy sessions at home, your therapist will also recommend exercises, stretches and lifestyle changes that you can make, which will all contribute to eliminating your headaches.
Our physical therapist can help you get to the bottom of your headache problem.
If your headache is cervinogenic in nature, we may need to work on your neck. For instance:
Before your in-home physical therapy treatments begin, your therapist will work with you to diagnose your headaches. You’ll need to discuss your medical history with the therapist. If you sustained an injury to your neck, back or jaw years ago, it could still be contributing to headaches to this day. The location where you experience pain, such as in the face, back of the neck or forehead, can also help to diagnose the source.
Your physical therapist will likely run you through some tests as part of the diagnosis phase. For example, your posture will be checked as you engage in several activities. The strength of your muscles and the range of motion in your neck and shoulders will be tested. Your therapist might do some manual therapy to see how mobile your neck joints are.
Once the cause of your stress-related headaches is determined, a customized course of physical therapy can be prescribed to treat them, that you can do at home on your own time.
One of the main causes of stress-related headaches is right there in the name: stress. The headache generally happens when the muscles in the neck or scalp become tense and contract.
Depression and anxiety are similar emotions to stress that can also lead to headaches. In addition, there may be a physical cause behind your stress-related headaches. An accident or injury to the neck or back can contribute to headaches. Poor posture and arthritis are two other potential causes.
What are you waiting for? Stress-related headaches can be a thing of the past for you, after working with a physical therapist to correct the problem at home. Contact us today to schedule your first in-home appointment.