PT_Specialties_Cluster Headaches- Recognizing the causes

PT_Specialties_Cluster Headaches- Recognizing the causes

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

RECOGNIZING THE CAUSES OF A CLUSTER HEADACHE — AND HOW TO TREAT IT

Health & Fitness The Newsletter About Your Health And Caring For Your Body

RECOGNIZING THE CAUSES OF A CLUSTER HEADACHE — AND HOW TO TREAT IT

point during the day, sometimes multiple times throughout the day. The pain you feel from cluster headaches is defined as chronic, due to the nature of the ongoing clusters. If you are suffering from chronic headaches, it is important to realize that you are not alone. In fact, according to the International Headache Society, headaches are the third most common pain complaint across the world. If you’ve been living with nagging headaches that seem to come and go at different times, you may be experiencing cluster headaches. Contact Physical Therapy Specialties today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced physical therapists and figure out exactly what type of headache is plaguing you.

Any type of pain that occurs within the head can be referred to as a “headache.” Most headaches will resolve on their own without medical intervention; however, severe or recurrent headaches that interfere with one’s quality of life should most certainly be evaluated further. The challenge lies in identifying which type of headache you’re experiencing and then devising a treatment plan accordingly. Cluster headaches are a specific type of chronic headache. Also known as Horton’s syndrome, cluster headaches are short-lived but painful headaches that occur every day for weeks or even months at a time. They occur in patterns or “clusters,” and they may even happen at the same time every year, such as in the spring or fall. Most cluster attacks occur at night; however, it is possible for them to occur at any

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Exercise Essentials Try these simple exercises to help keep you loose and pain-free... Share this with a friend or family member to help keep them healthy, too!

Helps relieve neck pain.

Helps relax your whole body.

RETRACTION | CHIN TUCK Slowly draw your head back so that your ears line up with your shoulders and then tuck your chin towards your chest. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 3 times.

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING Lie on your back with your knees bent. Breathe deep, from the belly. Repeat 10 times.

Always consult your physical therapist or physician before starting exercises you are unsure of doing.

Who do you know that needs our help?

Refer a Friend Do You Have Friends or Family Unable to Do The Following? 9 Move without pain 9 Bend and move freely

9 Balance confidently and securely 9 Sit for long periods comfortably 9 Walk for long distances 9 Live an active and healthy lifestyle

If you know someone suffering from aches and pains give the gift of health. Refer them to Physical Therapy Specialties today. Pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly for a Physical Therapy Consultation.

Call Today! 925.417.8005

Happy 31 st AnniversaryPhysical Therapy Specialties!

• Headaches • Knee Pain • Problems Walking Or you just want to celebrate with us!

To celebrate another year of getting people in pain back to normal, we are offering a fun filled day of completely Free Discovery Screens, and you are invited to attend! November 18th, 2020 To RSVP for your free screen, call 925-433-7294 This is ideal for you if you are experiencing or have experienced: • Low Back Pain

In your Free Discovery Screen, your physical therapist will talk with you about the history of your problem…. Take measurements to test how well you move and your strength... Then provide you with a written copy of:

1. The cause of your pain or problem 2. A plan for successful treatment

• Sciatica • Arthritis • Shoulder Pain • Neck Pain

If you are experiencing any pain and you’d like to find out the real cause of it—and the way to solve it— call us (925) 433-7294 (limited spaces available).

It’s Here… What our patients have been asking for!

Have you or a friend experienced any pain or physical stress? If so, then I have something to tell you about that can help…We are excited to announce Physical Therapy Specialties are hosting Free Workshops due to several requests for more healthcare education. It’s for people who have missed work, family vacations, or any activity because they’re worried about aggravating their pain. And it’s ideal for people in pain who want to get back to normal naturally, without pain pills, injections, or surgery. So far we are offering virtual lower back and shoulder workshops and people are loving them! Let us know if you want to attend, they are free. We will offer them live once it is safe. Like us on Facebook to see when they are offered. Workshops will be virtual until we are able to make a full recovery from COVID19.

Anniversary Q&A

We asked our owner, Ida Hirst a few questions about how Physical Therapy Specialties came to be. Here is what she had to say: Q: What inspired you to start Physical Therapy Specialties? Ida: I was fresh out of school and eager to make a difference in people’s lives. I was very disappointed in the care patients were receiving at the first places I was hired, and started dreaming about how I could make the quality of PT better for the patients. My husband told me I should start my own practice, but I was intimidated by the responsibility of owning a business. I have always put my “all” into anything I do and after some time, I realized that I would take on this responsibility anyway…whether it was for my employer or myself. With a little more encouragement from my husband, I took the leap and started a practice.

Q: What is different about Physical Therapy Specialties?

Ida: That’s hard for me to answer because I have been practicing here for so many years. I can however share the philosophy of care that we have adopted here at Physical Therapy Specialties:

• We believe a person shouldn’t need medication every day for pain.

• Just because you are older doesn’t mean you have to be in pain.

• Physical Therapy doesn’t have to hurt.

• You have options OTHER THAN surgery and medication.

• Our bodies want to recover and need to be given the opportunity and environment to do so.

• Education: Teach so that a person has tools forever.

We have always been a very patient-oriented, hands-on practice. I have been blessed to have other physical therapists and assistants join the practice that are not only highly skilled and intelligent, but also share this philosophy so we can provide compassionate, high quality PT that gets results, often very quickly for our patients. Q: What’s next for Physical Therapy Specialties? Ida: Every year brings new changes and challenges, but we would like to remain independent and easily accessible to patients looking for natural ways to feel good and to stay active. In California, people have the ability to directly access PT without first seeing their doctor, so I would like to keep providing education to the community about ways they can help themselves and natural options for recovery or improvement. Q: What else would you like to share? Ida: It makes me happy to see the smiling faces of our patients as they come and go, all in various stages of improvement. I feel grateful for the opportunity to serve our community, to work closely with the physicians in our area, and to meet so many wonderful people along the way.

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What Causes A Cluster Headache? While some headaches have specific triggers, such as hormonal changes, stress, or tension, cluster headaches typically do not. While the exact cause of cluster headaches is unknown, many medical professionals believe that they are associated with the hypothalamus. Some factors that may put you at a higher risk for developing cluster headaches include: • Age. Most people who develop cluster headaches are between 20-50 years old. • Sex. Males are more likely to develop cluster headaches than females. • Smoking. A large number of people who experience cluster headaches are smokers. • Soft tissue mobilization • Muscular releases • Muscle energy techniques • Body mobilization • Cervical traction • McKenzie-based therapies • Strengthening • Stretching

Since there are some environmental factors associated with cluster headaches, your physical therapist may also suggest lifestyle changes to help prevent the headaches from occurring. This may include increasing exercise or cutting out alcohol and/or cigarettes. Your physical therapist can also provide you with stress relief exercises to try and avoid stressful situations that may cause your cluster headaches, or the adoption of additional healthy lifestyle choices, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule or implementing a more nutritious diet. Contact Physical Therapy Specialties today: We can help get to the root of your problem and figure out what factors are causing your cluster headaches so we can treat them accordingly. If you have been dealing with persistent, ongoing headaches that you believe may be cluster headaches, don’t hesitate to contact our office today. We will help you figure out the cause of your headaches and provide an effective, safe, and natural treatment plan for eliminating them!

• Alcohol. Alcohol use can aggravate or even trigger a cluster attack. • Family history. Those who have family members with cluster headaches are more likely to develop them themselves. How can physical therapy help relieve my cluster headaches? Physical therapy isn’t normally someone’s first thought when they have a headache - most of the time, the common reaction is to take some form of pain-relieving medication. This may help to relieve pain in the short-term, but if you are constantly suffering from headaches, pain relief drugs will not provide you with the same long-term effects that physical therapy will. Some common physical therapy treatments for headache relief includes: • Trigger point therapy • Heat or ice compressions

Come Back In For A Consultation Whether you want to come in for a check-up, suffered a recent injury or you want to improve your health, a doctor referral is not needed. In the state of California, you have direct access to physical therapy!

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See our physical therapists for: • Recent injury • Nagging aches and pains • Back and neck pain • Joint pain and movement problems • Walking or balance difficulties

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