Have you ever been to your Osteopath and found it hard to describe what kind of headache you are experiencing? It feels sharp, it feels intense, the pain is throbbing, all at the same time, and you don’t know where it came from. This is a very common situation that our patients with headaches present to us with.
Fortunately for you, with our extensive clinical knowledge, we can help you identify the root cause of your headache and find ways to better manage it, as most headaches have certain characteristics that can help determine the type of headache you may be having.
I’m an Osteoopath with expertise in the treatment of headaches. Here are a few of the most common types of headaches that I treat in the clinic and the typical characteristics and symptoms of them.
In this blog, I aim to break down the symptoms of different headaches and create this as a guide so that you can explain what you are experiencing to your practitioner when you come in for your appointment. You should always seek individual medical advice from your trusted providers.
Tension-type Headache:
This is the most common type of headache that I see in my patients in the clinic. Most patients come in and tell me that it feels like there is a “tight headband” wrapped around their forehead. It will usually get worse when they are very stressed, lacking in sleep, dehydrated, or they have not had enough to eat throughout the day.
Common Symptoms:
- Pressing/tightening sensation around the forehead and base of the skull
- Tightness through the neck and shoulders
- May or may not have sensitivity to light and sounds
- Pain doesn’t get worse with physical activity
Treatment Approaches:
- Hands-on treatment
- Heat/ice pack for muscle soreness
- Over-the-counter pain medications (talk with your GP or pharmacist)
Cervicogenic Headache:
This headache typically comes from referred pain from the neck and muscles surrounding the neck and shoulders. These patients will often describe feeling pain on one side of their head which will be the same side the neck or shoulder pain is and can feel the pain radiate from the bottom of the skull up and around to the side or top of the head, sometimes close to the top of the eye socket.
Common Symptoms:
- Stiff or sore neck
- Restricted neck and upper back range of motion
- Pain is reproduced by specific neck movements
- Non-throbbing, dull aching pain
Treatment Approaches:
- Hands-on treatment
- Heat/ice pack for muscle soreness
- Over-the-counter pain medications (talk with your GP or pharmacist)
- Neck mobility & strengthening exercises
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Headache:
As an Osteopath, I am trained to assess the body as a holistic unit, including assessment of the jaw in a headache presentation. When a patient is experiencing a dysfunction within the temporomandibular joint, or commonly known as the TMJ, it can often result in a headache. This is due to tension in the muscles surrounding the face that are involved with jaw mechanics and movement, such as the temporalis and masseter muscles. Jaw clenching throughout the day or grinding teeth while sleeping can be factors contributing to jaw-related headaches and pain.
Common Symptoms:
- Pain can be one-sided or on both sides of the face
- Headache is aggravated by jaw movements like chewing or opening the mouth
- Pain referral into the face is common
- Tenderness through the TMJ joint and surrounding muscles.
Treatment Approaches:
- Hands-on treatment to restore jaw function
- Self-massage to the jaw muscles
- Tongue posture and jaw rehab exercises
- Over-the-counter pain medications (talk with your GP or pharmacist)
Final thoughts
If you feel any of these headaches are similar to what you have been experiencing, please come in for a consultation with a headache expert Osteopath at Alpha Sports Medicine in Newport, where we can go through a thorough assessment to find the root cause of your headaches and provide the most appropriate treatment for you.
Book an appointment with an experienced Osteopath at Alpha Sports Medicine Bacchus Marsh and take the first step toward effective, long-term headache relief.
