Best Treatment Options for Headaches and Migraines
A headache is one of the most common sources of pain and illness for Australians to suffer – in fact, throughout the country, it is estimated that around 15 percent of Australians are taking pain relief medications for headaches at any given time. For many of us, we just accept headaches and migraines as a bothersome part of our lives, but there are a variety of treatment options that could be alleviating the pain for you.
Why allow headaches to become a staple hindrance on your daily life? Continue reading if you’re interested to learn a little more about why you may be suffering from headaches or migraines, and find out what treatment could be the best option for you and your body.
This blog details a basic guide to types of headaches, common causes, and some of the most effective treatment options. If you’re looking for personalised advice about what treatment plan may work best for you, contact 13th Beach Health Services today for an appointment with an expert.
Common Causes of Headaches
Headaches can be caused by a wide variety of things – specific incidents, injuries, overall health issues, or even just daily habits. In short, anything that can set off the pain receptors in your neck or head is capable of causing a headache, or a more severe migraine. Here are some of the most common causes people will experience:
- Injury to the head, neck, or spine
- Dehydration
- Poor diet/Insufficient nutrients
- Poor posture and strain to the neck or back
- Vision problems
- Loud noises
- Arthritis
- Meningitis
- Hormonal imbalances
- Extreme temperatures
- High blood pressure
Types of Headaches and Migraines
A headache can come in many different forms, covering any sort of pain, pressure, or ache throughout various areas of the head – such as the forehead, temples, and back of the neck. The most common type of headache is a tension headache, usually triggered by stress and strain.
If pain is experienced only in one side of the head, with the pain coming in cycles, you may be experiencing cluster headaches. Other common types include sinus headaches, which occur alongside other symptoms of sinus infections, or ‘thunderclap headaches’, in which very severe pain comes in within a minute.
Migraines, however, are a little different to regular headaches. They tend to be more severe and painful, and can include several other symptoms that make the experience even worse. Your headache may be a migraine if you also notice yourself struggling with:
- Nausea
- Temporary loss of vision, or seeing spots
- Pain behind the eye or ear
- Severe pain in the temples
- Disorientation
- Uncomfortable sensitivity to light and sound
Treatment Options
Nobody deserves to be putting up with chronic headaches. If you’re tired of suffering headaches that make going about your daily life a challenge, it may be time to explore some treatment options. Here is our quick breakdown of a few treatments that have been proven effective to help patients with their headaches and migraines.
Osteopathy
For many patients suffering from chronic headaches, an osteopath can provide valuable insight and treatment into their health. By restoring full movement to the spinal joints of your neck, tension and irritation through muscles and nerves can be relieved, ultimately alleviating probable causes of your headaches.
Myotherapy
Many headaches can be traced back to muscular issues, and myotherapy can be a big help with that. Myotherapists are trained to understand the musculature of the body, and having a professional identify the tense or tight muscles that might be causing you pain could be the first step to sorting out your ongoing headaches. Through trigger point therapy, cupping, dry needling, and corrective exercises, a myotherapist may be able to help minimise the number of headaches and migraines you experience.
Physiotherapy
A physiotherapist is able to determine if there is a connection between the tissue in your neck and your headache pain. Using techniques such as manipulation of the body, rehabilitative exercises, assessment and correction of posture, and massage for greater mobility, physiotherapy can be a strong course of treatment.
Remedial Massage
Remedial massage can be especially helpful if you’re struggling with tension headaches. Through trigger point therapy and stretching exercise, remedial massage can help to pinpoint troublesome muscles and increase necessary blood flow to the area, as well as stretching them out and reducing pain through aiding flexibility. Likewise, massage can work wonders for mental wellbeing and reduction of stress, which can subsequently help lessen headaches and migraines.
Book an Appointment for Effective Headache Treatment
Don’t let headaches and migraines take over your life. If you’re looking for effective treatment to alleviate your pain, any one of these methods may work for you.
Whether you’re particularly interested in building a specific treatment plan or you’d like to discuss further what may be the best course for you, the team at 13th Beach Health Services are ready to jump in and help you out. Book an appointment today to take that first step towards nipping your headache pain in the bud.