Chronic headache treatment in Grand Rapids, MI

Patients seeking chronic headache treatment understand the toll daily migraines take on their everyday lives. When the throbbing, stabbing or pulsing pain continues for hours and days, the simplest tasks can become nearly impossible. Effective treatment may hinge on the proper diagnosis of your chronic headache. Fortunately, the Grand Rapids, Michigan, clinic of Advent Physical Therapy can help you understand your chronic headache treatment options.

Migraine

Migraines are usually the first example people come up with when they imagine someone searching for chronic headache treatment. There is no known direct cause of migraines, but women are three times more likely than men to suffer from them. Migraines can be triggered by stress, too much caffeine or changes in sleep patterns.

The physical therapist can help you learn to identify and avoid your triggers. This is vital to treating chronic migraine headaches. He or she can also perform manual therapies designed to release tension in the jaw, neck and head.

Headaches and neck pain

Often, chronic headaches can arise from dysfunction in another part of the body. Cervicogenic headaches are caused by problems with the neck. The most common cause of cervicogenic headaches is poor posture. Sitting hunched over at a desk or behind the wheel of a car for long periods of time can place the head in a forward position that puts tremendous strain on the muscles in the neck and cervical vertebrae.

Chronic headache treatment in this case may focus more on the neck than the head with the goal of relieving pain and tension in the muscles of the neck. Some effective physical therapy treatment options can include:

• Stretching movements and positions to increase range of motion
• Myofascial release or trigger point therapy to ease tension directly at the pain point
• Strength building exercises to better support the head
• Ergonomic recommendations to improve posture

Scheduling chronic headache treatment with Advent Physical Therapy

Migraines and other chronic headaches do not have to ruin your quality of life. The skilled therapists of Advent Physical Therapy can help with your chronic headache treatment. Contact our Grand Rapids clinic today to schedule your initial appointment.