According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 15% of Australians in 1995 were taking medication to relieve the symptoms of headaches.
Osteopathy, good self-care advice, and Naturopathy may be effective for the treatment and management of your headaches or migraines. A thorough delve into your history, assessing why your headaches or migraines are occurring, and formulating a good management plan for you can often reduce the need for pain-relieving medications.
There are many different types of headaches. Here are some of the more common headaches.
Tension-type headaches
Tension-type headaches are the most common form of headache. They feel like a dull band of pain, usually sensed across both sides of the head. They can last anywhere from an hour to days on end.
There are many factors that can contribute to a tension headache. These include:
- Muscle tension
- Poor sleep
- Stress
- Bright lights
- Poor posture
- Fatigue
- Poor work ergonomics
- Stress
Identifying your triggers is key. Then formulating a way to avoid your triggers can help reduce your tension headaches.
Migraines
A migraine is the seventh-most disabling condition worldwide according to the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study. About one in 10 people will experience a migraine at some point in their lives, and for many of those, the pain will be recurring throughout their life.
Migraines are typically a more severe pain than a tension-type headache. Symptoms can include:
- Pain on one side of the head only
- Disturbances to your vision such as flashing lights or trouble focusing
- Sensitivity to light
- Nausea
- Vomiting
There are many causes of migraines, some of which are the same for tension headaches. Other causes include:
- Genetics
- Hormonal
- Nutritional
- Stress
MOTHER
Other types of headaches
The constant use of pain medication does come with its side effects. When used frequently, pain relief medication sensitizes your nervous system. This means, your nervous system develops a lower threshold for future headaches to occur. That’s especially the case with pain medication containing codeine, which has addictive properties.
This is where we can step in and help.
How can Osteopathy and Naturopathy help my headaches?
It’s important to find your triggers. We will extensively go through your history and assess you to find what may be making your headaches or migraines tick.
Our osteopaths can help relieve the tightness in the muscles, neck, and back. They can also advise you on good work ergonomics, stretches, and any strengthening exercises that may help you.
Our Naturopaths can assess your nutrition and hormonal status along with any other causes of your headaches and migraines. Along with diet and lifestyle changes, changes to these areas can really help reduce your headaches and migraines.
The goal is to find your triggers. Then it all fits into place from there.
If you have any questions that you would like to ask our Osteopaths or Naturopaths, drop us a line. We’re more than happy to chat.
This blog post is an educational tool only. It is not a replacement for medical advice from a registered and qualified doctor or health professional.
Phone: (03) 9773 8085
