Headache
Less commonly are headaches that are chronic and persistent caused by meningitis, sinus and ear infections or anything more serious. However, if your GP can’t attribute your headache to something serious you may be suffering from an imbalance somewhere else in your body that might not be an immediately obvious cause of headaches.
Stress headaches are felt like a constant ache on both sides of the head and can cause tightening in the neck muscles. They are more common in women than men and can last from an hour to several days. If you have tried everything else, you could benefit from an appointment with a physiotherapist.
A common complaint is a feeling of tension in the head, which can sometimes be attributed to neck pain. This may be caused by something as simple as poor posture leading to tightness in the upper part of your spine and poor muscle action in and around the hips, perhaps by sitting badly or for too long at your desk or constantly carrying a heavy handbag on one side.
Many headaches are associated with neck pain. If your headaches are focused down one side of your head and worsened by movement of the neck, then it may be you are suffering from cervicogenic headache. Simply put, this means that the joints and muscles in your neck are restricted or tight and your physiotherapist can develop an appropriate programme of treatment to mobilise the area.
Persistent use of a mouse and crossing your legs when sitting can cause lengthening of certain muscles which results in a muscle imbalance and can lead to restricted joints and movement.
The good news is that many chronic headache conditions are often treatable through physiotherapy. The most important thing is to undergo a thorough assessment to see if your physiotherapist can identify a potential cause of your headaches.
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