Head & Neck Treatment
Neck pain and headaches can stem from a variety of factors. Onset may be sudden or gradual. The intensity and nature of your symptoms can vary. But whether this is minor stiffness or more serious symptoms, it can have a huge impact on your work and your life.
Our team treats a range of musculoskeletal neck pain and neck related headaches. Headaches can be caused by pain stemming from a number of areas. This includes the base of your neck, mid to upper back, shoulder, ribcage or jaw. This pain is then referred up into the head.
The onset of neck pain and headaches can be directly related to physical factors such as poor posture. However, physiological factors, including stress, chemical changes within your brain, food reactions, or poor sleep can also lead to neck pain.
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Causes of head & neck injury
There are a range of factors that may cause head and neck injuries. A common example is poor posture over an extended period of time. This might even relate to the angle you look at a computer screen. Eventually, this poor posture can put excessive strain on the neck joints.
This built-up tension and stiffness lead to the irritation of the nerves. This results in pain radiating into the head (cervicogenic or ‘neck-related’ headache). Trauma to the neck, such as whiplash or sports-related injury may also cause neck pain and headaches.
Common symptoms of head & neck injury
As part of a head and neck injury, you may experience:
- Pain or stiffness in your neck, upper back or head.
- Loss of head or neck movement.
- Muscular tightness in your neck and shoulders.
- Sharp or shooting pains in your neck, head or arms.
- A slow gradual, often one-sided, ache at the base of your skull and back of your head. Occasionally in the temporal region above your ears or behind your eyes. Migraines are more likely to affect both sides and to swap sides than cervicogenic headaches.
- An inability to complete your normal physical activities.
Our approach to head & neck treatment
At Pure Physio, we take the time to thoroughly understand your concerns and to assess the factors contributing to your symptoms. We aim to restore normal joint movements in your neck. This can reduce the muscular tightness and nerve irritation causing your neck pain or headaches. Manual techniques, such as soft tissue release and spinal mobilisation reduce stiffness and tension.
We also provide educational strategies related to ergonomic set up and self-stretching. Ultimately, these strategies are designed to help reduce the impact of lifestyle factors on your pain.
For long-term relief and prevention, a targeted exercise program can be designed to address postural dysfunction, which may be causing neck pain and headaches.
Head & neck conditions we treat
At Pure Physio, we recognise that the head and neck are complex interrelated structures. They have intricate networks of discs, ligaments and vertebrae. This means there can be multiple factors contributing to your head or neck pain. Some common conditions we treat include:
- Post-surgical rehabilitation.
- Disc prolapse, injury or strain.
- Stiffness and loss of mobility.
- Facet joint dysfunction.
- Neck related (cervicogenic) headaches.
- Postural dysfunction.
- Acute muscle or ligament sprains and strains.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Arm pain referring from the neck.
When should I see a physiotherapist?
The earlier we can diagnose your condition and begin treatment, the sooner you can return to your normal healthy self. If left untreated, your symptoms may progress, causing further lifestyle restrictions and a longer recovery period. Speak with our experienced team if any of these symptoms sound familiar to the pain you are experiencing.
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