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Treatment & Relief of Headaches & Migraines
Headache & Migraine Specialists represents a network of clinical physiotherapists and neurologists. Our members have a shared commitment to improving the quality of life of headache and migraine sufferers. Together we share areas of best practice, the latest research and a common set of principles ensuring our patients receive the best treatment for recurring head pain.
Headache & Migraine Specialists would like to thank the Dan Medica for inviting us onto their website.
Effective & Lasting Treatment of Headache & Migraine
Every year around 250 million working and school days are lost in the UK through headaches and migraines. But national statistics do not reflect the misery caused by the debilitating pain brought on by headaches and migraine.
It is a bold claim, but practitioners within the Headache & Migraine Specialist network see significant improvements in over 80% of their patients. The reason for this success is in identifying the underlying causes of headache and migraine and providing hands-on physical therapy to solve the problem.
Traditional Headache & Migraine Treatment
The common experience of regular sufferers of head and migraine is one of repeat visits to GPs and increasing use of pain medication. Referrals for CT and MRI scans may follow but very often no cause is found. Without identifying the cause, effective treatment is difficult.
One of the reasons GPs and others often miss the cause is because they are looking in the wrong place. Through a combination of clinical experience and on-going research the Headache & Migraine Specialist network have come to understand the link between head pain and problems in the neck and shoulders.
Research shows that there are many factors that contribute to headache and migraine. There is strong evidence to show a genetic link making members of the same family more prone to migraine than others. A hormonal component is indicated by the fact the pre-menopausal women are three times more likely to suffer from migraine than any other group, including post menopausal women. Migraine is associated with certain foods; particularly caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and mono sodium glutamate. There is also link between migraine and stress although interestingly, many headaches and migraine episodes begin with relaxation after a prolonged period of stress.
There is, however, one cause of headache that is often under-recognised, undiagnosed and therefore left without treatment.
Cervicogenic refers to the neural pathway in the cervical spine and from the top of the shoulders and in the neck. Pain signals from the neck and shoulder pass into the brain stem where they share synapses with the trigeminal nerves that are connected to the head and the face. With cervicogenic headache, normal sensory information from the trigeminal nerves can be misinterpreted as pain and so the originating area of pain is easily misdiagnosed.
Once this cause of pain has been diagnosed, patients suffering from headaches and migraines report significant benefits from physio-therapeutical treatment of neck and shoulders.
All practitioners within the Headache & Migraine Specialist network take a thorough medical history before beginning any form of treatment. In some instances it may be necessary to refer patients back to their own GP for further assessment or be referred on to a consultant neurologist. Most headaches and migraines are not life-threatening but it is advisable to talk to your GP if you develop sudden or severe symptoms, especially if these are different from previous attacks.
Specially trained headache and migraine physiotherapists are able to determine the presence of cervicogenic pain by temporarily reproducing the symptoms. Although unpleasant, this is short-lived and allows for more specific diagnosis and more effective treatment.
For patients with cervicogenic headaches, once the areas of dysfunction have been confirmed, careful manipulation of the neck and shoulder muscles and realigning spinal segments helps to ease the symptoms. With the correct treatment, most patients find the pattern and intensity of headaches starts to change very quickly.
Further Information / Contact Us
At the moment, membership of the Headache & Specialist Network is strongest in London, Essex and the South East of England. The intention is to expand the Headache & Migraine Specialist network throughout the UK and we are always pleased to hear from physiotherapists and neurologist who may be interested in our work.
For further information visit us at www.headacheandmigrainespecialists.com or call us on 0844 264 0305.
Headache & Migraine Diagnosis & Treatment, Musculoskeletal Assessment, Trained Physiotherapists Specialising in Headache & Migraine Treatment, Medication, Upper Neck Pain, Alternative Headache Treatment & Cure By Physiotherapy, Cervicogenic Headaches, Physiotherapy, Ergonomic Realignment, Managed Headache Care Pathways, London, Essex
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