Can Physical Therapy lessen or stop headaches/migraines?

Dennis Kaster, PT

Did you know that physical therapists are able to significantly decrease or eliminate headaches and or migraines?  Many times headaches and migraines are triggered by muscle tension or tightness in your neck.  These muscle issues can be alleviated with some simple corrections to poor posture and muscle weakness or tightness.  There are many ways that a physical therapist can help you to get rid of your headaches and migraines.  Physical therapy is a great alternative to taking expensive medications which can be detrimental to some of your body organs— like your liver.  Treatments like Botox can be very expensive and have only temporary effects.  The corrections that a physical therapist makes can be lifelong.  Here are some ways a physical therapist can help to decrease your headaches or migraines.

Posture – If you have poor posture or are looking down a great deal, this can cause the muscles that hold your head up to pull extra hard on the back of your skull.  This can trigger headaches and migraines.  By improving your posture or modifying your work station, these same muscles will not pull as hard on the back of your skull.

Ergonomic setup – if your workstation or even areas that you do crafting in are not set up correctly, this can put extra stress on your body and neck.  Simple things like wearing reading glasses instead of bifocals when you are at your computer can make a big difference.  A physical therapist can help you to set up your work stations to put less stress on your body.

Dry needling – This is a newer technique that can give instant relief for headaches and migraines.  I have seen some patients get total relief from migraines and headaches after just a couple of treatments using this technique combined with other treatments listed here.  This technique involves putting very thin needles into the sore muscles causing headaches and migraines.  It is very simple and takes only a few minutes to do.  Call one of our clinics for more details on this awesome technique.

Stretching – Muscle tightness can definitely trigger migraines and headaches.  A physical therapist can give you stretches specifically for the individual muscles that are causing your headaches or migraines.

Strengthening – Weak muscles in your neck and upper chest area can also contribute to your migraines and headaches.  A physical therapist can give you specific strengthening exercises to better support your head and neck.

Soft tissue mobilization – Many times the muscles in your neck and upper back can be very sore and have “knots” or trigger points in them, or just be tight.  A physical therapist can do soft tissue mobilization, a very specific type of massage, which will help to alleviate muscle tightness and trigger points in your muscles.

Ultrasound/Electrical stimulation – Ultrasound is a modality that helps to relax muscle tissue and promote healing.  Electrical stimulation is a modality that can help to decrease pain and inflammation in the tissues.  Either or both of these can be used to help decrease your pain or muscle tightness.

Unfortunately, one of the best-kept secrets is that physical therapy is a relatively cheap and easy way to decrease or eliminate headaches and migraines without taking expensive and powerful medications. 

Please call one of our clinics today.  We can do a free screen with you to let you know if we think we can help you.  Most insurances do not require a physician referral to physical therapy, so you can call and set up an appointment without having to see a physician first.  We look forward to helping you take control of your life and to eliminate the crippling effects of headaches and migraines.