What Is the Connection Between Neck Pain and Headaches?
Are your headaches coming more frequently and lasting longer? Have you noticed tightness and tension in the upper back and neck every time you get a headache? You may be experiencing a cervicogenic headache. Fortunately, our Integrity Rehab physical therapists can provide the guidance you need to resolve your headaches once and for all!
There are all sorts of reasons why headaches may develop. Environmental factors like weather changes, exposure to certain scents, or things like stress, allergies, and headaches happen to most of us and can interfere with our everyday activities.
Some headaches are more predictable than others. For example, factors like your mattress, the pillow you use, or even the desk chair you sit in at work can increase your likelihood of developing cervicogenic headaches.
The good news is our Integrity Rehab physical therapists are skilled at treating all types of headaches. Call today to set up an appointment and to learn more about how our highly trained physical therapists can help you find relief!
How does neck pain lead to a headache?
Most of the time, neck pain starts as a seemingly small concern. A crick in your neck here or there may develop more frequently, and before you know it, you’re dealing with neck pain every day. Unfortunately, as their pain becomes daily for some people, it can also radiate into the head.
Sometimes what causes neck pain is a bad habit like watching TV with our necks at an odd angle while enjoying our favorite show. For others, headaches and neck pain start from poor postures, like when sitting hunched over the computer all day.
We usually consider these poor habits harmless. But the reality is that they could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to a headache.
Another common way to trigger pain radiating into the head is weightlifting or other sports-related injuries. The forces that occur while lifting something heavy or participating in a contact sport can be the beginning of a cervicogenic headache.
Getting our Integrity Rehab & Home Health physical therapy assessment can help clarify the source of the pain and, more importantly, provide you with a lasting solution.
The benefits of good posture
Working with our Integrity Rehab physical therapists can help you identify whether or not your headaches may result from neck pain or strain. Forward head posture is one of the most common causes of headaches due to neck pain.
A forward head position means you are slouching. A prolonged slouched posture causes strain on your neck’s muscles, ligaments, and joints. Over time this poor posture will send stronger and stronger warnings in the form of pain. And eventually, the discomfort will also grow in size and include pain at the base of your head, also known as a cervicogenic headache.
There are specific ways that you can tell if your posture is causing cervicogenic headaches, including:
- The pain in your neck/head is worse at the end of a workday.
- The pain starts in your neck and moves into your head.
- The pain subsides when you switch positions (i.e., moving from sitting to standing).
- Neck pain/headaches develop after a change in circumstances, such as starting a new job with a new desk chair or getting a new car.
Our team of therapists will teach you to improve your posture and effectively overcome your cervicogenic headache pain.
How Physical Therapy at Integrity Rehab can help your headaches
Our spine is designed to move, so our posture should also move. At Integrity Rehab, our physical therapists will guide you through targeted mobility work and stretches, postural corrections, and strength-building exercises. In addition, we can help you train your body to practice better posture, thereby reducing your neck pain.
When the neck joints and muscles around your neck become restricted, any movements you make can result in neck pain and headaches. Manual therapy like joint mobilization, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy will help loosen restricted tissue and free up joint motion to facilitate effortless mobility and less pain.
Joint mobilization and targeted exercises are effective treatments to relieve the pain of chronic headaches. They help restore the joint’s motion, loosen the tightened muscles around the head and neck, and promote quicker healing.
Targeted stretching of the muscles in your neck to alleviate neck strain can reduce the severity and regularity of your headaches. Stretching and strengthening the muscles that have grown tight and weak along the back of your neck and those along the shoulders can help you find relief from the tension causing your pain.
Learning specific exercises/movements to improve your posture is one of the most effective solutions. It seems small, but consistently it has been shown to help. Understanding your ideal posture and how to manage it throughout your day can help you be proactive and find a solution for your sore neck.
Working with our Integrity Rehab physical therapy team is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you resolve your pain and prevent future episodes.
Call today to request an appointment!
If you’re struggling with recurring headaches and neck pain, call Integrity Rehab today for a comprehensive assessment. We’re here to help you learn what steps you can take to alleviate and prevent your pain once and for all!