Do you have neck pain that seems to trigger headaches? Have you noticed that the worse your headaches are, the stiffer your neck and upper back get? At American Headache Institute, our therapist will help you figure out the connection between headaches and neck pain, and more importantly, how to find relief!
Neck pain has a way of interfering with the most basic activities. Getting out of bed and driving to work can become a challenge. Making it through a day sitting at a desk becomes a nightmare. Carrying groceries or attempting to pick up your child when they are upset becomes impossible to do without pain.
Some of these tasks are more difficult to get around than others, and, depending on how the pain is impacting your life, the stress of having to go through extra steps to make basic things happen can get out of hand.
The good news is that with guidance from our physical therapists, you can find solutions to your pain and find out how to manage your headaches. Call American Headache Institute in Rochester Hills, MI today to learn how to help you live the life you want, with less pain!
What Causes Radiating Neck Pain and Headaches?
Neck pain is one of those types of pain that is difficult to work around. Neck pain will frequently radiate up into the base of your skull and into your head. Once neck pain begins to turn into headaches, attempting to concentrate becomes exceedingly difficult.
There are a large number of culprits that could be behind your experience of neck pain, including accidents, such as a car accident or a slip-and-fall accident. One of the most common ways to trigger pain in your neck that radiates to the head is through weightlifting or other sports-related injuries.
Sometimes what causes your neck pain is a bad habit that you don’t think twice about, like watching TV at the end of a long day, keeping your neck at an odd angle as you enjoy your favorite show. Or maybe your headache/neck pain starts from your posture as you type at your desk every day hunched over.
We usually consider these poor habits to be harmless. But the reality is that they could be putting undue stress on your neck, and if you aren’t careful, this could translate to a pinched nerve.
When neck pain develops due to a pinched nerve, the radiating neck pain can result in severe headaches, and in some cases, even migraine-like headaches. The pinched nerve can radiate from the neck into the skull and can cause severe pain.
The cause of the issue isn’t always as simple to identify. Working with a physical therapist at American Headache Institute can help to clarify the source of the pain and, more importantly, the solution.
How Physical Therapy Helps Radiating Neck Pain and Headaches
The good news is that there is a lot you can do to support the healthy operation of your neck, thereby reducing the severity or frequency of your neck pain.
During physical therapy, your neck pain will be addressed holistically, taking into consideration the initial injury that may have caused the pain to develop and any other habits, movements, or compensations that may contribute to the discomfort.
Physical therapy uses strategies like manual therapy, targeted stretching, and strengthening exercises to reduce neck pain. Most of these strategies can be adopted as a home program to help you address your neck pain when it’s bothering you the most.
Adopting healthier habits can have a significant impact on your management of neck pain. These include:
- Practicing improved posture
- Using lumbar support in your desk chair and car
- Exercising regularly
- Engaging in yoga or Pilates
One of the primary goals of physical therapy is to address whole-body well-being by encouraging improved overall health. In many situations, this includes improved flexibility and range-of-motion training, muscle building and strength training, and activities that reduce your stress, including walks or meditation.
The best way to be free of neck pain is to prevent it from developing. The longer you let neck pain linger and disrupt your life, the more difficult it becomes to treat. The intelligent thing to do is to consult a physical therapist as soon as possible!
Contact Us for an Appointment
If you’re struggling with recurring headaches and neck pain, call American Headache Institute today for a comprehensive assessment. We’re here to help you alleviate and prevent your pain once and for all!
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5994516/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3201065/
Tags: headaches, neck pain, health and wellness, Physical Therapy, natural pain relief
