Physical Therapy Can Alleviate Your Stress-Related Headaches

How Do You Know if It's a Stress Headache?

Obviously, more than one kind of headache exists, from migraine and sinus head pain to the infamous cluster headaches. Each type can be debilitating, but the best method for finding relief will depend on the type of headache you're suffering from.

A cluster headache usually involves intense pain around one eye and the surrounding area, along with possible swelling and watery eyes. Sinus headaches center on the sinus cavities around both eyes, cheeks, and nose, and involve intense pressure, especially when leaning over. A migraine headache comes with throbbing along one side of the head, with possible visual blurriness and nausea.

A tension headache, in contrast, will make itself known with a band of pain across your forehead, often continuing around the sides of your head and/or to the back of your head. This pain and pressure might also come with a feeling of heightened sensitivity on your shoulders, scalp, and neck. People with tension headaches might get them only periodically, or experience them more frequently — technically, a chronic tension headache condition occurs more than 15 days a month, with each headache lasting at least an hour.

"Resist" Headaches Through Resistance Training

For many patients, stress headaches can be traced back to having weaker than average neck muscles. Studies show that, on average, people with this specific type of stress headache have less strength in their neck extension muscles than the average person.

Physical therapy works neck, shoulder, and upper back muscles to build up strength in those areas. The goal is to strengthen these muscles enough to support your head without becoming overworked, which often contributes to stress headaches. Depending on your area of weakness, the physical therapist might start you on chin-to-chest "nodding" workouts, or upper back and shoulder strengthening using hand weights and resistance bands.

Ease Into Relief

Massage is renowned for its ability to relax patients. For people with chronic stress headaches, physical therapy involving massage may ease a headache if you have one going into the session. More importantly, regular massage may also reduce the frequency and severity of tension-related headaches.

Along with deep-tissue massage, your physical therapist may also apply alternating heat and cold therapy using heating pads and ice packs, or employ ultrasonic wands. This type of alternating hot and cold treatment reduces inflammation and knotted muscle problems.

Posture Perfection

When you slump, your shoulders, neck, and back tend to compress the nerves within them. Physical therapy for stress-related headaches will likely include an assessment of your normal posture. Your physical therapist may determine that weakened muscles from the way you sit or stand are compressing your nerves and contributing to muscle strain. If so, strengthening moves for your core, back, and neck will be incorporated, along with techniques to help your body "remember" how to hold the correct positions for sitting, standing, and walking.

Flexibility Fixes

Stiffened joints and tendons can lead to both emotional and physical tension, with a tension headache just one possible result. Boosting overall flexibility can not only help prevent serious injury but reduce the likelihood of the type of headaches resulting from physical stress.

Stretching moves will focus on opening up your chest, gaining more flexibility in your neck tendons, and extending the range of motion in your shoulders and arms. Your physical therapist will give you specific instructions for how to do these helpful stretches at home so that you can retain and improve your flexibility between sessions.

Is it Time for Physical Therapy?

A physical therapist may well be the key to helping you beat those tension headache blues. Through a variety of physical therapy methods performed in our facility, as well as teaching you home techniques, you can reduce the frequency and severity of your stress-related headaches. Call Lumina Wellness & Physical Therapy today to set up a consultation with an experienced physical therapist.