There are many varieties of headaches and many of us will experience one of them in our lifetimes. Headaches come in all shapes and sizes and can create overlapping symptoms such as pain, muscle tension, sensitivity to light/sound, dizziness/vertigo, nausea, brain fog, etc. This makes identifying the cause or type of your headache difficult. Cervicogenic, Tension, and even Migraine headaches can be caused or perpetuated by musculoskeletal factors and therefore would benefit from a Physical Therapy assessment and treatment program.

A thorough history of your headaches and how your symptoms are affected by activities of daily life is an important start. Relevant information including dietary habits, environmental stressors, history of concussion/head injuries, medication use, etc. and can help provide insight into the cause of your headaches and more importantly, if your headache is one that is appropriate for Physical Therapy or if other medical interventions may be necessary. As in all cases a thorough history can give important clues as to what type of headache you have or at least give a good idea of where the examination should begin. A thorough mechanical assessment using the McKenzie Method may help identify a directional preference that can be useful in reducing or even eliminating headache symptoms quickly. Headaches can also manifest as a result of dietary issues or medication withdrawal while others may be attributed to abnormal strain on cervical joint and muscle structures. Headaches that create symptoms along specific nerve sensory pathways may indicate neuralgia of the Occipital or Trigeminal nerves.

Almost all of these cases including headaches that respond well to treatment via McKenzie Method physical therapy, would benefit from a holistic assessment of polyarticular muscle chains identified in Postural Restoration®. The significant effect that these muscle chains, and the imbalanced patterns that develop due to symmetrical demands being placed on asymmetrical bodies, can have on every system of the body can’t be overstated. The right sided preference that develops due to better breathing efficiency on the right side than the left, causes muscle and joint imbalances above and below our diaphragm and increased reliance on accessory muscles of breathing including muscles of the neck and shoulder. Adjustments in all three planes of motion have to be made in order for us to find balance against gravity. This increase in respiratory demand combined with the inherent postural instability creates a stress response in our bodies autonomic nervous system, further perpetuating hypertonicity in postural muscles. Combine all of this with compensatory jaw tension and abnormal strain on ocular muscles and the value of a thorough PT examination from one of your therapists becomes clear.