Headaches

In many cases, headaches can be caused by changes in your jaw, neck and upper back complex. Many people are spending more and more time sitting down, either sitting at desks for long periods, driving for long periods and even looking down at phones, tablets and laptops more often. These are having without doubt having considerable impact on our spine and muscles.

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It’s important to note that headaches can be caused by several different medical reasons such as, hormonal, heart related, neurological etc. If our initial case history shows anything that may be considered a red flag, then we would refer you back to your GP

 

How can headaches be treated?

• Spinal manipulation to relieve joints’ restriction of movement and relax the musculature around them

• Soft tissue massage to gently restore the physiological muscle length of chronically tight muscles

• Trigger points’ inhibition to alleviate the muscular tension collected over specific areas of muscles

• Exercise prescription to improve your self-management skills at home and give you tools to manage with possible relapses more independently.

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Who can benefit from an osteopathic treatment for headache?

Anybody who suffers from chronic headache and/or migraine can benefit from a visit to the osteopath. In fact, the majority of headaches are found to be caused by musculoskeletal tension and/or postural issues and can be successfully treated by an osteopath.

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Prolonged posture of sitting with our shoulders and neck protracted (hunched) affects the muscles of our neck, chest, upper back and even your jaw, causes them to become weak and tight. This posture also affects the joints of the spine, which causes them to become restricted and compressed. Headaches are caused when these restrictions and muscle imbalances affect the top three vertebrae in the neck.

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This is why osteopathy can help relieve headaches from a muscular-skeletal perspective. We can help relax and stretch the muscles that have become tight. We can free the spinal and jaw restrictions and advise on strengthening exercise for your spine and upper back.  We can also use gentle techniques to the skull that may help relieve the symptoms of headaches.

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Call us today to find out more about osteopathy treatment for headaches or to book an appointment at our well established, friendly Osteopathy clinic located in Old Harlow. We are well located and are happy to see patients from any area including Sawbridgeworth, Bishop's Stortford, Epping, Roydon, Nazeing, Broxbourne, North Weald, Loughton, Ongar, Stanstead and beyond.