If stress-related headaches are interfering with your daily life, it’s time to consider physical therapy as a treatment option. Tension headaches, also known as stress headaches, are the most common type of headache experienced by people.
Tension headaches, while not as severe as migraines, are an indication that something is “wrong” with your body. Our in-home physical therapists will assist you in determining what is causing your tension headaches and how to permanently eliminate them.
Contact Optimal Home Rehab in Philadelphia to get started on your customized treatment plan.
Common reasons for headaches
One of the most common causes of stress-related headaches is obvious: stress. A headache usually occurs when the muscles in the neck or scalp tense and contract.
Depression and anxiety are two emotions that, like stress, can cause headaches. Furthermore, there could be a physical cause for your stress-related headaches. Headaches can be caused by an accident or injury to the neck or back. Other potential causes include poor posture and arthritis.
How does a physical therapist identify chronic headaches?
Before beginning your in-home physical therapy treatments, your PT will work with you to diagnose your headaches. Your medical history will be requested by the therapist. It’s possible that a neck, back, or jaw injury from years ago is still causing headaches. The location of your pain, such as your ears, the back of your neck, or your forehead, may also help you determine the source.
As part of the diagnosis phase, your physical therapist will most likely administer some tests to you. For example, your posture will be assessed as you participate in various activities. Your muscle strength and range of motion in your neck and shoulders will be evaluated. Your therapist may perform manual therapy to assess the mobility of your neck joints.
Once the source of your stress-related headaches has been identified, a tailored course of physical therapy can be prescribed for you to complete at home on your own time.
Why should you opt for in-home physical therapy for headaches?
Your condition will influence how you treat your stress-related headaches. If your headaches are the result of a previous injury, for example, one course of therapy may not be enough to correct your posture and strengthen your neck muscles.
Stretching and strength training are likely to be included in your at-home treatments. Your physical therapist may also use the following techniques:
- McKenzie therapies
- Cervical traction
- Body mobilization
- Hot and cold compressions
- Soft tissue mobilization
Aside from your home physical therapy sessions, your therapist will also recommend exercises, stretches, and lifestyle changes that will all help to eliminate your headaches.
What is the objective of physical therapy?
The main goal of your in-home physical therapist would be to relieve your stress-related headaches in the comfort of your own home. However, in addition to relaxation, you will reap additional benefits that may improve your overall quality of life:
- Strengthening exercises: Your therapist will teach you exercises to strengthen your neck and upper back, which will result in better posture. You will be able to stand and sit for longer periods of time with better posture.
- Better posture. One of the leading causes of stress-related headaches is poor posture. If you do not maintain good posture throughout the day, it is likely that you will experience more generalized aches and pains, as well as muscle tension, which contributes to stress-related headaches.
- Neck pain relief. Because of manual physical therapy techniques used on the muscles in your neck, you will have greater range of motion and less tension.
Other ways that in-home physical therapy can help with headache pain
Our physical therapists can assist you in determining the source of your headache pain. We may need to work on your neck if your headache is cervicogenic in nature. For example,
- Your physical therapist will work with you to identify additional migraine causes and develop techniques to prevent them in your daily life.
- If your migraines are caused by a recent concussion, a well-managed course of physical therapy can actually help you recover from that concussion faster.
- Corrective exercises and postural/ergonomic shifts can help to avoid text neck and other workplace headache causes.
- Laser therapy and massage therapy can both relax tight neck tissues and speed recovery to injured muscles.
- Chiropractic adjustment can correct skeletal misalignment issues that place your neck muscles under unnatural strain. These adjustments can also help to reduce cluster headache attacks.
- Exercises that strengthen and loosen your neck muscles can help to ease the stresses that set off your headaches.
It’s time to find relief from your stress-related headaches
What exactly are you waiting for? After working with a Optimal Home Rehab physical therapist to correct the problem at home, you may be able to say goodbye to stress-related headaches. Contact Optimal Home Rehab today to set up your first in-home consultation.
