Many people experience debilitating headaches that keep them from working, playing or experiencing life. It can be frustrating and difficult to find a practitioner who understands all the aspects of their headache. Our headache specialists are passionate in their pursuit to reduce your pain and improve your quality of life. They rely on research, experience and relationships with other specialized medical providers to reduce the negative effects headaches have on your life. Headaches after a concussion can be especially complex, but treatment by a headache specialist may help reduce your headache intensity, frequency, and duration.
What Type of Headache Do I Have?
Tension Headaches
- Pain on both sides of the head
- Soreness or diffuse pain in the temples
- Tightening band-like sensation around your head or a vice-like ache, forehead, temples and neck
- A pulling feeling, pressure sensation, and spasms in the head and neck muscles
- Neck movements do not typically increase pain
Cervicogenic headaches
Headaches related to the neck
- Pain on one side of the head
- Pain at the back of the head/scalp, temple, or behind, in or around the eyes
- Pain increases with pressure at the back of the head
- Limited neck mobility and neck movements increase headache pain
- Non-throbbing headaches
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)
Jaw-related headaches
- Pain around your forehead, temples, back of head or radiating down your neck.
- 90% of pain originates from the jaw muscles
- Jaw muscles don’t function normally and may not support one or both sides of your jaw joints in a proper motion
- This type of headache can be akin to working out your muscles in the gym and then feeling muscle pain later. The only difference is that TMJ is more subtle and chronic
- Pain is influenced by clenching, bruxism, and abnormal jaw movements
Migraines
- Dull ache, may develop into constant, throbbing and pulsating pain
- Pain located in the temples, front or back on one side of the head
- 60% are on side of the head, 40% are on both sides of the head
- Typically accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise
- Generally occurs between age 20-40
- Neck movements do NOT typically trigger headaches
What will happen during my visits?
Your therapists will spend extensive time listening to the history of your headache(s) during the first session. This will be coupled with a thorough examination to gather as many of the key factors needed to determine the types and sources of your headaches. Headaches are not always a straightforward solution and often the headaches have been occurring for years. We are persistent, determined, and work with many other providers to decrease your headache and the negative impact they have on your life.
Specialized treatment methods customized to you
ActivePT’s therapists practice a hands-on approach to therapy. While exercise are a critical part of your care, headaches can not be alleviated with exercises alone. Hands-on treatments can often help to maximize your pain relief. We utilize many research-based treatments available to our profession in order to effectively evaluate and treat your pain.
Treatments may include:
- Soft and deep tissue mobilization and myofascial release with movement
- Joint mobilization
- Spinal manipulation and mobilization
- Specialized exercise programs focusing on your specific muscle weaknesses or imbalances
- Traction and distraction techniques
- Dry needling
- Instruction in a home stretching and strengthening program to maximize results
Whether your headache is old or new, we are often able to help. If you are unsure if ActivePT can help your headaches, schedule a free 15-minute screening appointment to discuss your headaches with one of our headache specialists.
Postural and Environmental Influences with Headaches
- Poor posture
- Unnatural head or neck positioning for long periods of time (ie sleeping, working)
- Arthritis, particularly neck arthritis
- Abnormalities in neck muscles, bones or discs
- Eye strain caused when one eye is compensating for another eye’s weakness
- Working under poor lighting conditions
- Misalignment of teeth or jaw
- Noises
- Emotional factors including:
- Job
- Family
- Grief
- Depression
- Nutrition
- Sleep
What will happen during my visits?
Your therapists will spend extensive time listening to the history of your headache(s) during the first session. This will be coupled with a thorough examination to gather as many of the key factors needed to determine the types and sources of your headaches. Headaches are not always a straightforward solution and often the headaches have been occurring for years. We are persistent, determined, and work with many other providers to decrease your headache and the negative impact they have on your life.
Specialized treatment methods customized to you
ActivePT’s therapists practice a hands-on approach to therapy. While exercise are a critical part of your care, headaches can not be alleviated with exercises alone. Hands-on treatments can often help to maximize your pain relief. We utilize many research-based treatments available to our profession in order to effectively evaluate and treat your pain.
Treatments may include:
- Soft and deep tissue mobilization and myofascial release with movement
- Joint mobilization
- Spinal manipulation and mobilization
- Specialized exercise programs focusing on your specific muscle weaknesses or imbalances
- Traction and distraction techniques
- Dry needling
- Instruction in a home stretching and strengthening program to maximize results
Whether your headache is old or new, we are often able to help. If you are unsure if ActivePT can help your headaches, schedule a free 15-minute screening appointment to discuss your headaches with one of our headache specialists.
