OrthosportsPT_Neck Pain and Headaches

OrthosportsPT_Neck Pain and Headaches

Health & Fitness

Headaches have a bad habit ofmaking their appearance at themost inconvenient times. The middle of the workday, early in the evening when you have hours of responsibilities ahead of you, or even first thing in the morning when you are trying to pay attention to your morning meeting — headaches don’t care how important the work ahead of you is. When they start, they are hard to stop. There are all sorts of reasons why headachesmay develop. Fromenvironmental factors like weather changes and exposure to certain perfumes or other scents, to stress and allergies, headaches happen to the best of us. However, there are some headaches that may be a bit more predictable than others. Factors like your posture, the type of mattress you sleep on, the pillow you use, or even the desk chair you sit in at work can all impact your risk for experiencing regular headaches because of the intricate network of nerves andmuscles in your neck. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NECK PAIN AND HEADACHES

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When Neck Pain Leads to Headaches The majority of the time, neck pain starts out as a seemingly small concern. A crick in your neck here or there may start to develop more frequently, and before you know it, your experience of neck pain is something you are dealing with daily. It isn’t always the result of something large. While being in a car accident or experiencing another sort of injury can definitely lead to chronic neck pain, the cause of the issue isn’t always as simple to identify. Sometimes it is a bad habit that you don’t really think twice about, like your habit of watching TV as you fall asleep, keeping your neck at an odd angle as you rest for the evening, or maybe as a result of your posture as you type at your desk every day, hunched over at the shoulders with your neck catching the brunt of your slouch. These poor habits are common, and most of us consider them to be harmless. Sure, you know it isn’t great for you, but what is actually going to happen? It’s a lot easier to slouch as you type, and who doesn’t want to catch a few late-night laughs as they fall asleep? But the reality is that these seemingly irrelevant habits could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to regular and uncomfortable headaches that are difficult to get rid of. Keeping active, staying rested, and being smart with hot and cold therapy create a trifecta for healthy management of aches and pains, but they aren’t going to solve the bigger problems. When aches and pains start to grow severe, or chronic, then it is time to reach out to a professional for support. Physical therapy is the best way to reduce aches and pains because it takes into account a combination of active and passive strategies to help tackle the cause of your pain. The Problem With Posture Working with a physical therapist can help you to identify whether or not your headaches may be the result of neck pain or strain. One of the most common causes of headaches due to neck pain is forward head position. Forward head position means that when you are resting your head, you are continuing to hold your head slightly forward, which is a type of slouching position. THE NECK PAIN & HEADACHE CONNECTION (Continued)

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You can identify whether or not you have a forward head position by standing straight against the wall and determining whether or not your head rests against the wall as your back does. If your head does not touch the wall when you are standing straight, then you aren’t fully standing up straight! As years go by and day after day you continue to hold your head in this forward position, you can start to experience pain as a result of strain in the muscles of the neck. When this is an issue, working with a physical therapist may be able to help. Stretching the muscles in your neck to alleviate neck strain can reduce the severity and regularity of your headaches. Stretching the muscles that have grown tight along the back of your neck as well as those along the shoulders can help you find relief from the tension that is causing your pain. When dealing with neck pain, it is important to remember that safety has to come first. While there are many simple activities you can try at home to begin stretching your neck muscles, working with a physical therapist is the only way to ensure that you are stretching in a way that won’t potentially lead to greater injury. For more information, contact us.

Relieve Neck Pain In Minutes Try this exercise to relieve neck pain.

LEVATOR SCAPULAE STRETCH Grasp your arm on the affected side and tilt your head downward into the armpit. Use your opposite hand to guide your head further into the stretch. Repeat as needed to relieve neck pain.

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TO RELIEVE A HEADACHE

1. Exercise regularly. Migraine patients are at a slightly increasedriskofstroke, and lack of exercise is a risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Vigorous, regular exercise can help reduce these risks. 2. Get adequate sleep. Getting enough sleep on a regular basis is part of the migraine hygiene you should practice to keep your headaches at ease. Sleep also includes darkness. Light is painful when you’re suffering fromaminimal headache, a hangover, and especially a migraine. Its brightness can trigger an even greater head pain, so don’t be afraid to turn things down a bit. 3. Eat a balanced diet. Eating regular meals, avoiding foods that trigger headaches, and staying hydrated will also help reduce the pain and frequency of your headaches. If you suffer frommigraines on a regular basis, consider making one small switch to your diet: more nuts. Nuts can work as both a pain reliever and a preventative method to stave off future onsets. Many varieties of nuts contain an important “ingredient” called salicin. Salicin is a pain blocking agent that’s present in many of today’s medications. Though you may want to reach for an over the counter pain reliever when migraines strike, choose nuts—they offer the same important ingredients. 4. Work on improving your posture. Hold your shoulders back and your head level, parallel to the ground, instead of hunching forward. This technique helps improve headaches most frequent during work.

Upcoming Low Back Pain & Sciatica Workshops March 19 | 7:00 pm, April 13 | 11:00 am at the Clarence Office.

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PATIENT SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT

“Suffering for over 35 years with genetic severe migraine, I asked Peter for help for alternative treatments to heavy medication. After an evaluation, he informed me that different options including ASTYM to spine & neck manipulation along with corrective exercises could help. Since that time of agreeing to the plan of care, PT has reduced my headaches by 50 to 60% and has significantly improved my quality of life. I experienced headaches up to 25 days per month but that has decreased to 8 or 10 days! Also, my use of Migraine medication has been curtailed a lot. For that I am truly thankful.” - Barb from Amherst Print sudoku http://1sudoku.com

Fill in empty squares using digits from 1 to 9. Each digit must be found once and only once per line, per column and per region. Fun + Games Sudoku Level Hard

3 7

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