Ever had to change your weekly plans because you got a migraine that has left you exhausted? While migraines are really complicated there are ways to decrease their severity and manage the symptoms of the headaches.
Book an assessmentWhile migraine symptoms can look different depending on the person generally people get nausea, light sensitivity, headaches, vomiting etc...other headaches symptoms include the following.
While migraines don't have a set treatment, there are ways to help decrease the frequency and the time that the migraines happen within. Thus identifying migraine triggers are important to identify. Therefore, a thorough subjective assessment helps us identify the type of headache or the causes of the migraine. Following that identifying the different aspects of the head and neck that may be increasing or causing the symptoms.
Once the assessment is completed management can involve multiple techniques; manual therapy, acupuncture, taping, direct neck exercises and other forms of exercises as well as education on general daily management techniques.
For migraine and headache appointment we ensure that the environment is scent free, with limited noise and dimmed lights, this is to decrease chances of provoking migraines. You will be providing your therapist with a history and a quick discussion of your symptoms. If you have previously received a migraine diagnosis we will treat it as such however, if you're still unsure we can help distinguish between migraines and other types of headaches; note that migraines are a medical condition and can only officially be diagnosed by a doctor.
Following the conversation with your therapist we will be looking at various neck movements, strength and capacity of different muscle groups as well as palpate various points to determine how to approach the treatment. The therapist may also need to examine your jaw or shoulders depending on the type of symptoms you get.
Once we have a clear picture, you along with your therapist will help decide what treatments will work best for you. Depending on the type of headaches you can expect 4-5 sessions spread over a longer period of time to encourage self management and guided rehabilitation. Or there could be an immediate need for 2-3 back to back sessions 5-7 days apart followed by 1-2 follow up sessions spread over a longer period. Generally every person is different thus a flexible approach is best.
Depending on the type of headache, stretches, aerobic exercise, preventative medication, hot and cold compresses can all help decrease the severity of the headache
Depending on the type of triggers and how long the individual has been suffering with migraines, a migraine episode can last between 3-4hrs and 1 day.
Waking up with a headache can be a sign of clenching at night which could directly correlate to a TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) disorder. These types of headaches can usually resolve by decreasing the muscle tension from clenching.
The physiological cause for a migraine is generally a change in neural firing patterns in the brain. However, people have various triggers for migraines, it could be caused by stress, changes in weather, increases in activity etc...
An assessment confirms what's going on and gives you a clear plan from the first session. Receipts provided for insurance claims.
Book an assessment
Physiotherapy and Sports Massage
4 Swan’s Nest Business Park, Pouladuff Road, Cork, T12 XC1Y
Info@tandembalance.com
(021) 702 0265
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