Did you know that it is guesstimated that 100 million people experience headaches and about 37 million of those have migraines? In fact, Migraines are the 6th most disabling illness in the world with someone being admitted to the emergency room complaining of head pain every 10 seconds. Physical therapy just might be the proper pain relief for headaches and Migraines.
What are Migraines?
The pain caused from Migraine is more than just a bad headache. Migraines are a genetic neurological disorder in the central nervous system which results in the pain and neurological symptoms associated with a migraine headache. Migraines aren’t caused by another disease or disorder such as a head injury or brain tumor. The throbbing severe recurring pain usually affects one side of the head however there are cases where the pain is all over. These painful episodes are known as Migraine attacks and they can usually last between 4 and 72 hours.
Besides a severe headache are there other symptoms?
Yes, Migraine attacks are often accompanied by the following symptoms and the a:
- Visual disturbances
- Aura is a visual disturbance that nearly 25% of migraine sufferers experience and this symptom usually lasts less than an hour
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Intense sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smell
- Extremities or face experience tingling or numbness
How does this pain affect a person’s quality of life?
Most migraine sufferers experience 15 migraine days per month. Unfortunately, most Migraine sufferers have moderate or severe pain and are not able to participate in normal activities because of the pain. In fact, most of the time they try to find a quiet, dark room.
Can Migraines be cured and how can they be treated?
There really isn’t a cure for Migraine sufferers and the treatment plan varies by person. It is suggested that the person identify the triggers and do whatever it takes to avoid those triggers. Migraine sufferers are also recommended to manage their stress, improve their sleep habits and modify their diets. Other treatment plans include pain medications and physical therapy?
Can physical therapy help relieve Migraine and headache pain?
Some headaches are linked with muscle and joint pain while others are caused by tumors, vascular problems, sinus issues and others. The headaches that are caused by muscle tension and tightness, disc pathology, lack of neck motion or poor posture can be treated by physical therapy.
Since Migraines are affected in the central nervous system then medication is often prescribed. Physical therapy involves working on the muscles and joints, therefore each patient will respond to physical therapy differently based on the extent to which muscles and joints are involved in the migraine.
At Oklahoma Physical Therapy we will perform an evaluation to determine the problem areas and will create a customized treatment plan to relieve the pain in those areas. If the pain is in the neck or surrounding areas there are a few treatment methods that include heat and/or ice, soft tissue mobilization, muscular releases, muscle stretches and education on posture and body mechanics. Call us today at 405-749-6281 to experience effective and quick pain relief. You can also schedule an appointment online at www.oklahomaphysicaltherapy.com/make-appointment.