Migraine headaches can be very painful to live and function with. However typically, over the counter medications have little to no effects on patients suffering with a migraine. If you have migraine headaches, physical therapy (PT) may help reduce your pain, improve your mobility, and help you deal with the headache when it comes back. A cariogenic headache is what you might call a migraine that comes from your cervical spine (neck). Your physical therapist can look at your spine and give you treatments that will help you move better and feel less pain.
Who Should Think About Physical Therapy For Migraine Relief?
Physical therapy may help people with headaches caused by a stiff neck or tight muscles. This is because therapy helps to relax these muscles, relieving tension and alleviating any pain that may travel to the head and cause a headache.
How Do Physical Therapists Help People Who Have Headaches?
Physical therapists can treat headaches by stretching the muscles in the neck, moving stiff joints in the neck and upper back, and massaging trigger points that may be causing headaches. The best part is that physical therapy includes self-management exercises to help you improve the flexibility and strength of tight and weak muscles that are causing your headaches. You can learn how to get rid of headaches on your own or stop them from happening in the first place without taking a lot of medicine.
Exercises to Try
There are a lot of gentle stretches to choose from when it comes to physical therapy for migraines. Here are a few beneficial stretches for relieving migraine pain.
Sit In Front Fold
Putting your head on something can make you feel very calm. It is a big part of the seated forward fold, which is also known as the two-legged forward bend. The pose also makes your leg muscles more flexible.
Thread a Needle
Try this pose by stretching your upper back if your shoulders feel tight. It also involves a gentle twist of the low back, which further loosens up the muscles.
Side Neck Bend
The side neck bend is a gentle stretch that releases tension in the neck and upper back. It’s a versatile move because you can do it while sitting or standing.
Chin Tuck
Nearly everyone who works at a desk in an office is guilty of slouching over their desks and pulling their shoulders up. This exercise helps with that problem as well.
Scapular Retraction
Bored at your desk? This is the easiest exercise you can do at work while sitting down. It helps fix the common office posture of leaning the head forward and rounding the shoulders.
In a Few Words,
For good results without getting hurt, you should stretch every day and pay close attention to your form, posture, and diaphragmatic breathing. On any given day, it might be hard to move because of pain, tiredness, or lack of motivation. On those days, it’s best to be kind to your body and remember that it was made to move. Be gentle. Gentle movement is still movement.