Experiencing Headaches All Day? Here’s Why

 

Have you been experiencing headaches more often recently? Are they more intense as compared to before? The reason for them could be as simple as your working posture. Due to the pandemic, most Singaporeans were forced to work from home all of a sudden to combat the rising number of infections. However, most were not prepared for this situation – lacking in a proper set up to work from home conducively.

In the office, we have workstations that are specially designed for long hours of desk-bound work. Even then, neck aches and back aches are a familiar complaint amongst most office workers. At home, the problem is amplified when there is a lack of a proper workstation. Many turn to working on dining tables or on their sofa which is not ideal for long hours of work.

The link between posture and headaches

You may be wondering – what’s the link between posture and headaches. It is a given that poor posture can result in back and neck aches, but why would it cause headaches to occur?

Most people tend to adopt the forward head posture when they are working, sticking their heads forward to look at their screens or documents better. This causes tension in the neck and can result in headaches.

3 Common Types of Headaches

Tension Headache

These are the most common and can be caused by a wide variety of reasons. Factors such as stress or a poor working posture can trigger tension headaches. They usually feel like a tight band around your head and the pressure is focused mostly at the front of the head.

Cervicogenic Headache

Cervicogenic headache usually stems from the neck and are caused by neck problems or tension in the neck. It presents as pressure that is focused at the back of the head and worsens with certain neck movements and positions.

Migraine

Migraines are known to be the most severe type of headache. The causes of migraines are largely unknown at the moment and has been speculated to be caused by factors such as genetics and the central nervous system. Migraines tend to be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea and

How can Physiotherapy help with Managing Headaches?

Even though physiotherapy might be the last thing that most people think about when it comes to the treatment of headaches, it has proven to be an effective long term treatment method to resolve headaches.

3 Ways that Physiotherapy Can Help with Headaches

Postural Corrections

Poor posture can be the culprit of headaches due to the increased pressure on the neck and spinal discs. In order to prevent the recurrence of headaches, postural corrections should be made to resolve the root cause of headaches. Physiotherapists are experts in human anatomy and are able to identify areas of correction and change them so that you are sitting in a better posture.

Manual Therapy

Manual therapy can mobilise joints and help to relieve muscular tightness. This creates space in the affected areas, relieving the pressure on the spinal discs and in turn, reduces the severity of headaches.

Rehabilitative Exercises

Now that we’ve corrected your posture, we need to strengthen certain postural muscles so that you are able to stay in an optimal posture for a longer period of time. Most people are unable to hold a good posture due to muscle weakness. Your physiotherapist will identify areas of weakness and come up with a suitable plan to strengthen these areas.

Physiotherapy for Long Term Management of Headaches

Physiotherapy has proven to be effective in the long term management and prevention of headaches. If you are experiencing persistent headaches and would like to explore physiotherapy as a treatment option, do give us a call to book an appointment. If you liked this article, follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our latest content and promotions!