Combat Stress-Related Headaches With Physical Therapy

We’ve all done it: we get that familiar twinge of a headache and go for the Ibuprofen, Advil, or Tylenol. When it comes to stress headaches, though, a tablet isn’t always enough. A stress headache is characterized by a band of pressure around the head, as well as generalized aching and soreness.

Physical therapy treatments, on the other hand, can help you relax and straighten your posture, which will help you feel better. You’ll not only get rid of your current headache, but you’ll also have a lower chance of getting future stress headaches. Contact our office GoodLife Physical Therapy now to learn more about how our services can help you eliminate stress-related headaches.

Manual therapy: a hands-on approach to headaches:

There are a few headache prevention techniques that can be done at home. A physical therapist, on the other hand, can provide a much more specific approach to addressing headache problems. Altering between cold and heat therapy, for example, is a simple yet effective method. In addition to reducing muscle tightness, the customized compresses and soft electronic pulse wands provide relaxing comfort.

Because soft tissue mobilization relaxes stiff muscles, manual therapy often involves massage for stress-related headache treatment. Massage, as a result of this impact, can provide rapid pain relief and even help to avoid future headaches. In order to alleviate your discomfort, PT massage treatments help to relax the muscles in your jaw, temples, neck, and shoulders.

Patients with persistent tension headaches also report fewer instances of head discomfort when they receive massage therapy on a regular basis. Relaxing the muscles in and around the head aids in preventing painful contractions.

Emotional stress that causes tension in these trigger muscles can also be relieved with physical therapy massage. People who receive therapeutic massages on a regular basis report improved sleep, which leads to less stress throughout the day and, as a result, a lower risk of developing a stress-related headache.

Developing better posture:

It’s no secret that how we stand and sit has a big impact on how much pressure we exert on our muscles. Poor posture compresses muscles and nerves, and many people get a provoked tension headache as a result of these overworked muscles and nerves in the shoulder, chest, and neck area.

Your physical therapist can assess your posture and suggest areas for improvement. He or she will also show you how to move, sit, and stand properly to avoid unnecessary compression.

A physical therapist can recommend healthy lifestyle changes in addition to showing chest, back, and shoulder positions. Changes to specific areas of the home and office can have a significant impact on posture. A telephone headset, a raised computer monitor, a modified chair, or even a rubber pad to stand on while cooking or washing dishes are all examples of this.

Help your muscles get stronger:

Even when performing routine tasks, you do a lot of “heavy lifting” with your shoulders, back, and neck during the day. They can quickly become overworked if the muscles in those areas are too weak. Resistance training is used in physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the neck and upper back.

For many people, stronger upper body muscles are linked to fewer – and less severe – stress-related headaches. Neck strengthening exercises might start with simple chin-to-chest nods and progress to more advanced exercises as your treatment progresses. Free weights and resistance bands can also be used to strengthen shoulder and back muscles.

Better flexibility:

As you go about your day, the more you can move your neck and shoulders, the less strain you place on the primary muscle groups in those areas. This could also help you get rid of some of your stress-related headache symptoms. You will learn particular techniques to extend your neck as well as loosen up your chest, shoulder muscle, and tendon groups by participating in physical therapy treatments. Regularly performing these exercises can help relieve persistent tension headaches.

Call us today for a free consultation

If you’re living with chronic headache pain, contact our office today to learn more about reducing the frequency and intensity of your chronic stress-related headaches.

We’ll schedule an assessment to look over and discuss your specific issues. Following that, one of our physical therapists will create a unique treatment plan tailored to your specific needs in order to help you relax your muscles, sleep better, and combat those painful stress headaches.

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Did you Know Physical Therapy Can Help Reduce Stress-Related Headaches? Here’s How.

Headaches are a common issue that can plague everyone from preteens to retirees. However, when recurring tension or stress-related headaches make it difficult to get through your day, physical therapy may be necessary to provide long-lasting pain relief. Our experienced physical therapist has the skills necessary to target the root cause of your headaches and create a tailored treatment plan that is safe and effective. Tired of dealing with annoying and painful headaches? Keep reading to learn how you can benefit from physical therapy.

How Can Physical Therapy Treatments Relieve Recurring Headaches?

Physical therapy can help to reduce the pain associated with headaches while working to restore proper function and a full range of motion in the neck and shoulder areas. Typically, there are 2 different types of physical therapy treatments that are ideal for relieving chronic headaches, these include:

Passive Therapies

  • Alternating heat and ice therapy
  • Massage therapy
  • Ultrasound
  • Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation or TENS
  • Ultrasound
  • Soft tissue mobilization

Active Physical Therapies

  • Stretching
  • Strengthening exercises
  • Muscular releases
  • Pain relief exercises
  • Low-impact aerobics
  • Range-of-motion exercises

Depending on the severity and cause of your headaches, our physical therapist may suggest a combination of physical therapy treatment methods to provide pain relief. However, because each person responds differently to headache pain, it’s important to keep in mind that there is no “one size fits all” treatment plan. Because physical therapy targets the muscles and joints, it is an effective treatment option for those who experience tension headaches or stress-related headaches, and headache pain that radiates down into the jaw, neck, and shoulder areas.

Over time, our physical therapist aims to not only reduce your pain but hopefully prevent recurring headaches altogether. The primary goal of physical therapy is to not only provide pain relief but to increase mobility, improve posture, and to help strengthen the muscles that control your neck, shoulders, and upper back areas. With all physical therapy treatment plans, our patients will receive helpful educational information that will help them to complete pain relief exercises at home to supplement in-office visits.

What Causes Headaches?

The most common type of headache experienced by teens and adults in the tension headache—which is sometimes referred to as a stress-related headache. This type of headache pain occurs when the scalp and neck muscles tense up and then contract. If you experience tension headaches, you most likely feel the pain begins at the back of the neck before it climbs up to the top of the head and eventually causes pain and discomfort behind the eyes. It’s also common to experience tension headache pain in the cheeks, jaw, and even down into the shoulders.

Some common causes of a tension headache include:

  • Stress
  • Wearing hair pulled back tightly or sporting a tight hat
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Poor posture
  • Arthritis

Other common types of headaches that can cause recurring pain and discomfort include the sinus headache, caffeine headaches, migraines, hormonal headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and cluster headaches.

Schedule an Appointment Today

If you or a loved one has been suffering from recurring headaches, you can find fast and effective pain relief with regular physical therapy treatment. Interested in learning more about the many benefits of physical therapy for tension headaches? Give us a call today and be sure to schedule an initial consultation with our friendly physical therapist.

Say Goodbye to Those Persistent Stress-Related Headaches

You know the feeling – the sudden pain that tells you a headache is coming on. It happens to all of us. Stress headaches are typically defined as a “band of pressure” that can be felt around your head, usually accompanied by tenderness of the skull and overall achiness within the head. Sometimes, the pain can be alleviated with over-the-counter medication, such as Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or Advil. However, sometimes stress headaches persist despite pain-management drugs, especially if you are prone to chronic headaches.

Luckily, physical therapy has been known to help alleviate stress-related headaches, in even the most chronic cases. Methods such as manual therapy, posture correction, and relaxation techniques will help relieve your pain and decrease your likelihood of sustaining more headaches in the future. For more information on how we can help you say goodbye to those persistent stress-related headaches, contact our office today!

Strengthening your muscles:

You do a lot of “heavy lifting” throughout the day with your shoulders, back, and neck – even when you are simply carrying out daily tasks. If the muscles in those areas are too weak, they can easily get overworked. Physical therapy work on neck and upper back muscles involves resistance training, in order to build up the muscles.

For many people, stronger upper body muscles also equate to fewer – and less intense – stress-related headaches. Exercises might start with simple chin-to-chest nods to build neck strength, and may become more intensive as your treatment plan progresses. Free weights and resistance bands also help to build up shoulder and back muscles.

Correcting your posture:

It is no secret that the ways in which we stand and sit can greatly influence how much pressure is put on our muscles. Poor posture compresses muscles and nerves, and for many people, these overworked muscles and nerves in the shoulder, chest, and neck area can lead to a triggered tension headache.

Your physical therapist can help evaluate your posture for areas that may need improvement. He or she will also demonstrate the correct way to move, sit, and stand, in order to avoid unwanted compression.

In addition to demonstrating chest, back, and shoulder positions, a physical therapist can also recommend helpful lifestyle changes. Modifications to certain areas in the home and workplace often have a big effect on posture. This might include a telephone headset, a raised computer monitor, a specialized chair, or even a rubber mat to stand on while doing kitchen tasks.

Improving your flexibility:

The more that you’re able to move your neck and shoulders as you move through your day, the less pressure you put on the major muscle groups in those areas. This may also alleviate some of your undesirable stress-related headache symptoms. By participating in physical therapy treatments, you will learn specific moves to stretch your neck, in addition to loosening up your chest, shoulder muscle, and tendon groups. Doing these regularly can help relieve chronic stress headaches.

A hands-on approach to headaches:

There are some headache prevention techniques that are simple enough to do at home. However, a physical therapist can provide a much more targeted approach to treating the symptoms of a headache. For example, alternating between ice and heat therapies is a simple but effective strategy. The specialized compresses and gentle electronic pulse wands provide soothing relief, in addition to easing muscle strain.

Manual therapy also includes massage for stress-related headache treatment, because the soft tissue mobilization relaxes tense muscles. Because of this effect, massage can provide immediate pain relief and can even prevent future headaches. PT massage treatments help to relax the muscles in your jaw, temples, neck, and shoulders, in order to lessen your symptoms.

In addition, patients with chronic tension headaches report decreased incidents of head pain when undergoing regular massage therapy. It is believed that relaxing the muscles in and around the head helps in preventing the contractions that result in pain.

Physical therapy massage also helps ease the emotional stress that causes you to tense those trigger muscles. People who get regular therapeutic massages also report getting better rest, which leads to less stress during the day, and therefore a lowered likelihood of sustaining a stress-related headache.

Schedule a consultation today!

Are your stress-related headaches limiting your life? If so, schedule a consultation with us today. Our dedicated physical therapists will create a personalized treatment plan based on your specific needs, in order to help you relax, sleep better, and fight off those debilitating headaches. We can help decrease the frequency and severity of your chronic headaches, and in many cases, our methods have even relieved them altogether. If you are ready to say goodbye to your headaches, contact us today!

If You’re in Pain, We’ve Got Your Back!

Relieve Chronic Back Pain with These 5 Tips

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 1 in 5 people have chronic pain.

If you experience pain and discomfort on a daily basis, we encourage you to consult with a physical therapist who can work with you to address the symptoms and causes of your pain and help you to function better.

Are you looking for other ways to feel less pain? Here are five of our top tips, all supported by research and relatively easy to implement.

1. Make sure you are maintaining proper posture

Do you constantly slouch in your chair or hunch over your phone? Are you using proper body mechanics when picking up objects—whether it’s a heavy box, a pencil on the ground, or even your child or grandchild?

There are so many ways we move our bodies every day that may not necessarily seem problematic. But if we repeatedly put our bodies under certain types of strain, over time we can begin to experience tissue damage and chronic pain.

Consult with a physical therapist in Orland Park, Homer Glen or Crestwood, IL who can evaluate your posture, movement mechanics, and ergonomics. He or she can help you identify patterns and habits which you may not even be aware of but are still exacerbating your pain.

2. Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet

Yes, food really is thy medicine! Research suggests that avoiding highly processed foods and consuming a lot of veggies, fruits, whole grains, high quality protein, and healthy fats can help decrease pain.

One reason is that eating a lot of nutrient-dense foods ensures our tissues get the raw materials they need to heal and repair. Plus, when we minimize or eliminate foods in our diet that tend to promote inflammation, including alcohol and sugar, then pain our pain levels can naturally go down.

3. Get moving!

Exercise can alleviate pain by increasing blood flow, stimulating the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that provide natural pain relief, and increasing joint strength and stability. So get active—around 30 minutes of exercise on most or all days of the week.

It’s helpful to talk to a physical therapist if you have chronic pain before starting an exercise program. Your physical therapist can provide services that naturally alleviate your pain and maximize your function so exercise is easier and safer for you to do.

4. A good night’s sleep goes a long way

Sleep is essential for optimizing your body’s healing and regeneration process. It’s also an important way for managing stress. For these reasons, getting enough sleep can actually help you experience less pain.

Does pain make it tough to fall asleep or stay asleep? Try these sleep hygiene tips to make it easier:

  • Sleep in a pitch black room with the bedroom temperature set to 65 to 68 degrees.
  • Dim the lights and power down your electronics for at least an hour before bedtime.
  • Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning (weekends and holidays included).

5. Exercise your breathing

Deep breathing is good for your body because it helps you get plenty of healing oxygen into your tissues. But taking deep breaths also stimulates the part of the nervous system that helps you relax, which is a great way to alleviate stress and ease pain.

The following exercise, known as four-square breathing or box breathing, has been shown to help manage pain. Sit in a comfortable position and follow these steps:

  • Breathe in through your nose for 4 counts.
  • Hold your breath for 4 counts.
  • Breathe out through your mouth for 4 counts.
  • Hold at the bottom of your exhalation for 4 counts, then repeat the cycle for 2 minutes.

When back pain becomes chronic…

The unfortunate truth is that many people will recognize back pain at some point in their lives.

Many problems with back pain are associated with acute injuries, such as auto accidents, sports accidents, pregnancy pains, or injuries of the workplace from improperly lifting heavy objects. These injuries typically heal on their own and may not even need PT intervention.

However, sometimes back pain develops into a chronic problem, especially if you experience it for longer than 3 months at a time. Some conditions (such as spinal arthritis, spondylolisthesis, or spinal stenosis) don’t heal themselves, and can result in constant or recurring discomfort.

Other types of chronic back pain are caused by repetitive motion injuries and soft tissue strain. Weak back muscles that do not support normal posture, or musculoskeletal irregularities (such as falling arches, poor workplace or sporting ergonomics) may also place your upper or lower back in a state of true agony. Fortunately, physical therapy in Orland Park, Homer Glen or Crestwood, IL can help with these chronic conditions.

Consult with a physical therapist today

Ready to schedule an appointment? Contact our physical therapy clinic today!

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Stress-Related Headaches Don’t Have to Cause More Stress in Your Life

Discover the Relief You’ve Been Looking For!

Millions of people suffer from a variety of headaches. This may include sinus headaches, hormonal headaches, and migraines. Various types of stress can also play a role in causing headaches.

In fact, stress-related headaches are considered to be one of the most common headaches people experience. It is important to understand how stress headaches differ from other types of headaches, in addition to the causes of these types of headaches and how a physical therapist can help.

As stated by Choose PT, “There is effective treatment for almost every type of headache.” Find out how physical therapy can help you!

How can physical therapy help relieve my headaches?

Physical therapy might not be the first thing that comes to mind when considering treatment options for headaches. Physical therapy, however, may be the ideal treatment if you’re experiencing tension or stress headaches.

A physical therapist would probably conduct a review of your medical history and conduct a thorough evaluation of your current physical abilities and limitations. A specific treatment plan could then be created that would address your individual condition.

There are several specific ways that physical therapy can help reduce stress-related headaches:

  • Lifestyle Changes: A physical therapist can teach you new ways of sitting, standing, and even different ways to complete daily tasks that can reduce the stress and tension that contributes to stress headaches. Over time, even improved posture may be able to decrease the amount of headaches you experience.
  • Stretches: Stretching exercises can help loosen tight muscles and ligaments in your neck and back that are contributing to your headaches. Certain stretches may also strengthen muscles in your neck and back. You can reduce pressure in your neck and shoulders as the muscles become stronger and more flexible.
  • Ice/Heat Therapy: Alternating between heat and cold therapy can often reduce the tension and stress in muscles. It not only reduces muscle strain but can provide immediate soothing relief.
  • Soft Tissue Mobilization: Massage and other types of manual therapy can often provide immediate relief from pain associated with stress headaches. A physical therapist using the correct massage techniques can help prevent contractions in the shoulders, neck, and head that can cause headaches.

A physical therapist can also help in the following ways:

  • Postural improvement: How your posture is held during the day significantly impacts your pain levels and the likelihood of experiencing a stress-related headache. Your physical therapist will teach you how to improve your posture for a greater quality of life.
  • Neck adjustments: Your physical therapist can use manual therapy to stretch muscles in your neck to relieve pain and increase range of motion.
  • Improving your muscle strength: You’ll learn exercises to help strengthen the muscles that control your upper back and neck. This way your posture will improve, and you’ll be able to sit or stand for long periods without experiencing pain and discomfort.

Why am I experiencing headaches?

There are a number of reasons why you may experience a stress-related headache.

Anxiety, fatigue, and general stress can all contribute to these types of headaches. Certain health conditions, including arthritis, may also lead to stress-related headaches.

It is also possible for poor posture to contribute to stress-related headaches. Improper posture can make the muscles tense and cause the blood vessels to dilate.

So, what are stress-related headaches?

Stress-related headaches are sometimes also referred to as tension headaches. In stressful situations, our bodies often go into fight or flight mode. During this time, certain chemicals in the brain can be released that can cause a variety of changes in the body that can lead to pain.

You may experience a dull, achy pain along your forehead or through the back of your head. The pain sometimes begins in the neck or shoulders and progresses through the areas of the head. Sometimes aches or pains may also occur in the jaws and cheeks.

Get started today!

If you are struggling with stress-related headaches, a personalized physical therapy plan may reduce or even eliminate headache pain.

Ready to get started? Contact us today to get in touch with a physical therapist who can help relieve your headaches and get you on the path to a pain-free life.

Stress-Related Headaches Can be Difficult to Live With – Consult With a PT Today

Did You Know Physical Therapy Could Help You Combat Your Stress-Related Headaches?

Daily stresses in life can add up to the point where you feel physically ill. This is what happens when stress-related headaches occur – it’s your body’s way of demonstrating a physical reaction to overwhelming stress.

While pain-management drugs can help in the short term, they won’t fix the overall issue. The next time you have a stress-related headache, don’t reach for the aspirin.

Give us a call to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists to get rid of your pain.

How can I tell if my headache is stress-related?

One of the main causes of stress-related headaches is right there in the name: stress. The headache generally happens when the muscles in the neck or scalp become tense and contract.

A stress-related headache is often a result of the daily grind. It’s often the everyday irritants like sitting in traffic and tolerating with everyday annoyances at work that trigger this type of headache.

Stiffening your shoulders or tensing your muscles can make these types of headaches even worse.

Depression and anxiety are similar emotions to stress that can also lead to headaches. In addition, there may be a physical cause behind your stress-related headaches. An accident or injury to the neck or back can contribute to headaches. Poor posture and arthritis are two other potential causes.

The good news is you can stop relying on those over-the-counter meds to get rid of your stress-related headaches, and instead opt for physical therapy.

Why did my stress-related headaches develop?

Stress-related headaches can cause pressure, tightness and pain around the back of the head and neck and around the forehead. It may feel like a clamp squeezing your head. And there are two types of stress-related headaches.

The first type is known as episodic tension headaches. These types of headaches occur less than 15 days per month.

The second type is known as chronic tension headaches. These occur more than 15 days a month and can last from 30 minutes to several days.

Often, these types of headaches begin gradually and likely in the middle of the day. Pain may ease up or get stronger, but it’s always there. Up to 80 percent of Americans experience stress-related headaches from time to time.

How can physical therapy help me relieve my stress-related headaches?

Physical therapy is often the best treatment for stress-related headaches. Physical therapy focuses on promoting relaxation and prescribed exercises.

Your physical therapist can help you get to the bottom of your stress-related headache problem. Your physical therapy treatment plan will likely include a combination of treatment methods, including, but not limited to:

  • Exercises that strengthen and loosen your neck muscles can help to ease the stresses that set off your headaches.
  • Chiropractic adjustment can correct skeletal misalignment issues that place your neck muscles under unnatural strain. These adjustments can also help to reduce headache attacks.
  • Laser therapy and massage therapy can both relax tight neck tissues and speed recovery to injured muscles.
  • Corrective exercises and postural/ergonomic changes can help you steer clear of “text neck” and other occupational headache triggers.
  • If your headaches are the result of a recent concussion, a carefully-administered course of physical therapy can actually help you recuperate from that concussion more quickly.
  • Your physical therapist can help you identify other headache triggers and suggest strategies for avoiding them in your everyday life.

A physical therapist will address the pathophysiological aspects of the stress-related headache by implementing hands-on manual massage and soft tissue mobilization. Both increase the blood flow of tissue and reduce myofascial trigger points.

A physical therapist may also perform soft tissue mobilization and hands-on manual therapy to alleviate the pain from stress-related headaches.

In addition, a physical therapy treatment plan for a stress-related headache may include cold and heat therapy. The electronic pulse wands used for these ease muscle strain and provide a soothing relief.

Often, a physical therapist will evaluate your posture in order to lessen the stress on muscles. They may also recommend lifestyle changes, at-home exercises and modifications to workstations at work and home. The goal of physical therapy is to treat the root cause of your stress-related headache.

Get started with us today

Want to learn more about relieving the frequency and severity of your stress-related headache? Give Goodlife Physical Therapy a call today, and we’ll set up an evaluation.

Our physical therapist will also suggest a specific treatment plan to ward off those debilitating stress-headaches. Live a pain-free life with physical therapy.

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