Watching television. Walking your dog. Having fun with your grandkids. All these activities can be harder to enjoy when you’re dealing with chronic headaches.
About 90% of people experience a headache in their lifetime, so you’re probably no stranger to the occasional headache. However, chronic headaches aren’t quite as common. It’s estimated that about 3% of people develop headaches more than 15 days per month, or chronic headaches. Physical therapists can help you find effective chronic headache treatment. This will typically involve helping you deal with the possible root of your headaches: your neck pain.
There are physical links that allow neck pain to cause chronic headaches
You might not have been aware that neck pain can lead to chronic headaches that require treatment. However, there are several physical links between the neck and the head. These links mean that chronic neck pain and chronic headaches often occur together.
The physical links that allow these two chronic issues to interact are:
- Muscles — There are many muscles in the neck that attach to various parts of the skull. One example of such a muscle is the sternocleidomastoids, which flex and rotate the neck. The suboccipital muscles also connect the neck and head together. Tension and other issues in these muscles can turn into chronic headaches.
- Nerves — Another physical connection between the neck and head are nerves. In fact, a structure called the cervical plexus is a web of nerves that runs upward into your head. A pinched nerve in this structure can lead to neck pain. The pain can also run into your head and trigger frequent headaches.
Problems with these neck structures can cause neck pain. Chronic neck pain can easily lead to chronic headaches.
How a physical therapist can treat your chronic headaches and neck pain
To put a stop to this vicious cycle of pain, your physical therapist can design a chronic headache treatment plan for you. The goal of such a plan is to reduce both your neck pain and the symptoms of chronic headaches that you’re experiencing. Some of the therapy methods your physical therapist can use to accomplish this include:
Border Therapy Services offers high-quality chronic headache treatment
Need to treat neck pain and chronic headaches? You’ll find effective help from our team at Border Therapy Services. We offer free screenings that can establish the root cause of your chronic headaches and neck pain. Our team can then build you an individualized therapy plan designed to reduce your pain and other symptoms.
Having difficulty leaving your home? No problem! Our team offers therapy services that can help you right from your own living room, and these services include virtual care and at-home therapy appointments. Additionally, you can begin using our therapy services without first getting a doctor’s referral.
Contact us today for more information about our therapy services or to schedule an initial appointment to start getting our help for your chronic headaches.