Do you have tension headaches at least 15 days per month? Have they been bothering you for at least three months? If you answered yes to both of these questions, then you have chronic tension headaches.
Tension headaches are something that many people are familiar with. In fact, medical studies report that about 75% of us experience a tension headache at some point, but typically, such headaches only occur once in a while. However, some people can develop chronic tension headaches. If you’re experiencing regular headaches, a physical therapist can help you treat your frequent tension headaches.
These are three ways physical therapy can help your chronic tension headaches
Most chronic tension headaches develop because of an underlying issue. These issues could be connected to your shoulders, cervical spine or jaw. A physical therapist is trained to treat musculoskeletal disorders that can trigger regular headaches. Some ways that your physical therapist can help address your headaches are by:
- Decompressing your cervical spine — Over time, the structures in your neck can become compressed. This can trigger issues like herniated cervical discs or pinched nerves, which can lead to frequent headaches.
Physical therapists can offer aquatic therapy that can help decompress your spine naturally. This type of therapy takes place in a heated pool and can reduce tension in stiff neck muscles. It also reduces the force of gravity on your neck, which allows for natural spinal decompression.
- Improving neck support — There are many muscles that help you maintain good head and neck posture. However, these muscles can become weaker over time. Your physical therapist can use therapeutic exercises to strengthen weak neck muscles. In turn, these exercises can also help improve your head and neck posture and help reduce the likelihood of tension headaches.
- Breaking up soft tissue tension — Poor posture and other issues can also cause knots of tension to form in neck muscles and other soft tissue. Soft tissue mobilization can be used by physical therapists to break down these tense knots. For deeper knots, a technique called functional dry needling can also be used.
Find help for your chronic tension headaches at Border Therapy Services
Tired of living with chronic tension headaches? At Border Therapy Services, our physical therapists can help you address the root cause of your frequent headaches. We offer free screenings that can pinpoint the underlying cause of your headaches. In addition, our specialists are adept at building personalized therapy plans designed to reduce pain and decrease headache frequency. You can even sign up for virtual therapy or at-home care sessions that allow you to treat your headaches from home.
Contact our team today for more information about our headaches treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.