Many people sometimes have headaches. Fortunately, this disappears quickly in most people. For some, headaches come back every time. Everyone experiences this pain differently. People can have pain in the whole head or on one side, headaches can come in waves or be present for a long time as a kind of nagging oppressive pain.
Headaches can have various causes, often (wrong) posture and movement play a role. It is often thought that headaches also originate 'in the head', but this is usually not the case. Because the cause is difficult to determine, people often take medicines home. In recent years, much research has been done on headaches and it appears that this pain can also be caused by problems with the jaw or with the vertebrae, muscles and nerves in the neck. A headache attack then starts because there is irritation, pain or cramping in those places. Bad posture can also cause headaches. For example, people sit with their shoulders raised at the computer.
Facts about headaches
• Many people suffer from recurring headaches
• Manual therapy examines how posture and movement affect headaches
• About 15 % of the Dutch have migraine and 60% tension headache
• Different types of headache complaints can occur at the same time
Manual therapy
The effects of manual therapy are often immediately noticeable: you have less pain and notice that you can move more smoothly. The manual therapist looks at the connection between all joints, he looks for connections and looks beyond just the headache. In this way he assesses which treatment is best for you personally. If necessary, the manual therapist works together with a general practitioner, medical specialist or other healthcare provider.
People who have visited a manual therapist with a headache often feel an immediate change: the pain is less and the neck feels more flexible or moves better. This is because the manual therapist applies specific techniques to make the joints function better and to improve your posture and movements. For example, mobilization or manipulation to make the neck more flexible. And you get exercises to strengthen the neck and to train your posture, strength, stability or coordination. The manual therapist also treats the upper back and shoulders because they are often used a lot to relieve the neck. This often results in less pain and the neck and skull rim feel more relaxed. In addition, he tells you how to keep moving properly and healthily and gives tips and advice on good posture. You will also receive exercises that help prevent the complaints from returning.
Did you know that scientific research has shown that people who report to a manual therapist quickly (within 2 to 3 weeks after the onset of a complaint that does not improve) often have fewer complaints and less severe complaints? So don't walk around with a headache for too long and contact one of our manual therapists.