Headaches
Tired of Headaches? The Solution Might Be in Your Neck
For many people, recurring headaches are a frustrating part of life. While there are many types of headaches, two of the most common—tension headaches and cervicogenic (neck-related) headaches—are often caused by underlying issues in the neck and upper back.
If your headaches are accompanied by neck stiffness or pain, or if they seem to worsen with prolonged sitting or certain neck movements, there is a very high chance that physiotherapy can provide significant relief. At Velca, we use multiple methods in treating the source of your headache, not just the symptoms.
The Neck-Headache Connection
The joints, muscles, and nerves of your upper neck have a direct connection to the headache centres in your brain. When these structures become stiff or irritated, they can refer pain into your head.
Cervicogenic Headaches: This means "originating from the neck." Dysfunction in the top three joints of the neck can directly cause headache pain, often felt on one side of the head, starting from the back and wrapping around to the front.
Tension Headaches: This type often feels like a tight band around the head. It is strongly linked to muscle tightness and trigger points in the neck, shoulders, and scalp, frequently brought on by stress and poor posture.
Poor Posture ("Tech Neck"): A forward head posture places immense strain on the small joints and muscles at the base of the skull, a primary driver of both headache types.
Jaw (TMJ) Dysfunction: Clenching or grinding your teeth can create tension in the jaw muscles, which can refer pain and trigger headaches.
How We Can Help Provide Lasting Headache Relief
Our physiotherapists are highly trained to assess your neck and determine if it is the cause of your headaches.
Thorough Assessment: We carefully examine the movement of your neck joints and the tension in your muscles to identify the exact source of the problem.
Gentle Manual Therapy: We use safe and gentle hands-on techniques to mobilise stiff neck joints and release tight muscles and trigger points, providing immediate relief.
Postural Correction: We provide targeted exercises to strengthen the deep muscles of your neck and correct your sitting and standing posture, reducing the daily strain that causes headaches.
Education and Self-Help Strategies: We empower you with techniques for stress management, ergonomic advice for your workspace, and simple exercises you can do to prevent headaches from returning..
