Reddy-Care PT: Neck Pains and Headaches

N E W S L E T T E R PHYSICAL THERAPY IS HELPING HEADACHES

Do headaches tend to weigh you down? Do they hamper your productivity by preventing you from accomplishing what you need to do at work or at home? Do they hinder you from living the way you want to? We have all experienced the pounding sensation of a headache at sometime in our lives. Unfortunately, for some people this is an everyday occurrence and it can be debilitating. Primary headaches are the most common and they include migraines and tension headaches. Tension Headaches. Physical and/or emotional stress may bring about tension headaches. With this type of headache, you might feel a certain gripping pressure like your head is in a vise. A dull burning sensation above the eyes and pain in the jaw, neck and shoulder areas may sometimes accompany tension headaches. Migraine Headaches. This type of headache is caused by significant changes in the flow of blood in the head and is also called vascular headaches. A migraine is usually characterized by a throbbing pain in one or both sides of the temple, a marked sensitivity to light and/or noise, nausea and vomiting. The duration and recurrence of migraines varies widely from person to person. For some, it may last for just a few hours while others endure it for a few days. Here are some things you can do to prevent headaches: 1) Improve you posture. Avoid sitting in a slouched position with your chin forward or your head tilted to one side or the other. These positions tighten the muscles in the back of your head that usually contribute to headache pain.

2) Maintain regular sleep patterns. Sleep and wake at the same time every day. Don’t nap. There is a greater chance of getting a headache if you nap for a couple of minutes compared to sleeping for a couple of hours. Also, sleep with the lights turned off. Lights can add stress to your brain that might trigger a headache. 3) Check your computer set-up at both work and home. If your workstation is not properly set up it will cause unnecessary stress on your neck. The top of your computer monitor should be at or slightly below eye level. 4) Avoid holding your phone to your ear using your shoulder. This can tighten the neck muscles that cause neck/headache pain. 5) Proper Hydration. Make sure you drink plenty of water. Many people drink coffee or soda throughout the day. These drinks are diuretics, as well as stimulants. This means that they will dehydrate your tissues leading to tension and increased metabolism which can increase heart rate, blood pressure etc, making you more prone to headaches. 6) Frequent Breaks. As you are able, take frequent breaks. This can be a simple 30 to 60 second break to get up and move around. This will give your working muscles a small break so that they don’t get too fatigued.

If you have questions or need more specific exercises to address your headaches, give us a call at 516-829-0030.

Source: www.apta.org

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N E W S L E T T E R

INSIDE : • Uncover The Root Of Your Neck Pain • In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy Headaches have a bad habit of making their appearance at the most 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 headaches may develop. From environmental 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 and muscles in your neck. 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, BAD HABITS CAN MAKE YOUR HEAD HURT!

• Practice News • What Our Patients Have to Say

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.

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Uncover The Root Of Your Neck Pain

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. 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 today!

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National PT Month

Refer A Friend!

Who Do You Know That Needs Our Help?

� Stand comfortably � Run for longer distances � Live an active lifestyle

� Move without pain � Bend & move freely � Balance confidently

If you know someone that may be able to benefit from physical therapy, please pass along this newsletter or have them call us directly to schedule an appointment.

Happy National Physical Therapy Month from our patients and staff at Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy

WE ARE NOW OFFERING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN THE HOME CALL (516) 829-0030

Happy Holiday Season!

Practice News

It’s National Physical Therapy Month!

In honor of raising money for National Physical Therapy Month, our staff and patients wore jeans on Friday all throughout the month of October for$1 tosupport thePT-Pac.

We hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving and blessed holiday season with your family and friends. We want to take the time to give a sincere thank you for choosing Reddy Care Physical & Occupational Therapy for all your therapy needs. We appreciate each and every one of you!

16 Years Of Serving Your Community! Sixteen years of patient care! Thank you for all your continued support and putting your trust in us to deliver the best possible care!

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What Our Patients Have to Say Read more on Google or on our website

In-Home Physical & Occupational Therapy

“If you’re looking to get healthy and pain free, they will help you do it the right way.” “I’ve been a member at Reddy Care for several years. I just started at Reddy Care again and I am happy to be back. I worked with almost every member on their team and I can say they are not only at the top of their game, they’re just plain good people. If you’re looking to get healthy and pain free, they will help you do it the right way.” “They were very accommodating with my work schedule...” “I have been through 2 rounds of physical therapy for a shoulder injury and knee injury here and my teenage son for a knee injury. The service is warm and welcoming by Eric and all staff. The facility is also very neat and clean. They were very accommodating with my work schedule and gave me evening appointments, reminder texts and schedule our visits in advance. Thanks for healing us!” “Everyone from the therapists to the assistants are very knowledgeable...” “I have been here for a couple different injuries. Everyone from the therapists to the assistants are very knowledgeable and know how to tailor the therapy to your exact issue. I have felt much better after each one. Also, although they do have a waiting room, you usually walk right into the main room to start. Highly recommended!”

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