Head Pain
Inc Headaches, Jaw and Facial Pain
Headaches:
A common source of pain treated by physiotherapy. A lot of people suffer from migraine or are diagnosed with migraine (sometimes inappropriately). Often there is a strong link with the neck particularly whereby symptoms appear to be localised to one side of the head or certainly start one sided even if they spread. In cases whereby patients do actually suffer from the full blown recognised symptoms of migraine, it is thought that in the presence of neck stiffness and more particularly muscular tightness, the threshold for the onset of migraine is severely lowered. Appropriate assessment and treatment of the neck/spinal alignment and habits can help significantly control this threshold and aid with healing.
Jaw pain:
Ie temporomandibular joint dysfunction (or TMJ) without any known trauma, is often caused by muscle imbalance in the neck resulting in tightness of muscular structures. This is more generally localised on one side. Appropriate assessment of the neck/spinal alignment and treatment can help significantly.
Facial pain:
Facial pain, often by way of trigeminal neuralgia (irritation of the nerves that supply sensation and some power to the face, can often be treated by physiotherapy to aid in aligning the spine and taking pressure off of the nerve.
People may also present with Bells Palsy which is temporary paralysis of one side of the face. This responds well to acupuncture to stimulate the muscles of the face again.