Where do my headaches come from?
Headaches are commonly assumed to be migraines but instead very commonly come from the trigger points of the muscles of the neck.
What is a Trigger Point?
It is a painful nodule or “knot” in a taut band of muscle made up of microscopic muscle fibres which are stuck together with a glue-like substance called titin. When the trigger point is ACTIVE it is painful at rest and refers pain to an area distant to the place of the trigger point and in the case of the muscles of the neck, can refer into various areas of the head causing a HEADACHE. Look at the diagrams below to see where your headache could be coming from, the dots represent headaches:
What can I do if any of these areas of pain look familiar?
Soft tissue massage of the tight muscles and Dry needling of the trigger points of the muscles of the neck is very effective to get rid of headaches.
A reminder about dry needling: A sterile needle is inserted through the skin and into the trigger point of a muscle. It is called Dry Needling because nothing is injected. The needle causes the body to release chemicals like natural painkillers and tiny injuries to the muscle created by the needle causes a healing response to the trigger point that goes on for hours after the needle has been removed.
The Cervical spine:
The spine is a long, continuous chain from the coccyx all the way up to the base of the skull. If there is an incorrect alignment of the base of this chain at the pelvis or lumbar spine (LOW BACK) or the junction between the two, then this will affect the spine in the neck (CERVICAL SPINE) and cause certain muscles in the neck to be overworked. This causes tightness and trigger points in the muscles and can eventually lead to a HEADACHE.
So what can you do about this?
Get the Physiotherapist to check the alignment of your pelvis and lumbar spine in addition to treating your neck, getting down to the root cause of your problem. This involves MAP or Myotatic Activation Procedures which are techniques from the UK, recently brought to South Africa. This technique uses your body’s own muscles to correct abnormal bony alignment in the pelvis and lumbar spine and the junction between the two.
Finally, what is the Missing Link?
Posture!
If you sit or stand with the wrong POSTURE over time this causes the muscles to become tighter and tighter until they form the trigger points which cause HEADACHES! So… Posture is important! Here’s how:
- Your chin should be tucked in and not protruding
- Your shoulders should be kept back (not rounded) and down (not lifted up towards your ears)
- Straighten your back like someone is pulling your hair up towards the ceiling
Maintaining the correct posture may be challenging in the beginning but with time and practice, soon you’ll be able to maintain the correct posture throughout the day.
SINUSITIS is another cause of HEADACHES treatable by Physiotherapy. Sinusitis is mucous build up in the sinus cavities below the eyes and above the eyebrows. The vibration of Ultrasound waves breaks down the mucous in these cavities and this allows the mucous to easily drain out of the cavities and this relieves the pressure and headaches.
Reference (Diagrams)
Dry Needling Module 1 2009 manual, C. Waumsley; B. Barker; and S. Stavrou.
Source: Amy Stranack (BSc Physiotherapy UCT)
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