Headache Types
While there are over 300 different types of headaches that have been clinically diagnosed, these are some of the more common types that we treat at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy.
Cervicogenic Headaches
Generally speaking cervicogenic headaches are the most commonly treated type of headache at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy. A cervicogenic headache is a secondary headache, meaning the root cause of the pain is not coming from the head, but coming from an external source. Cervicogenic headaches are caused by some form of dysfunction in the cervical (neck) area; joint irritation, disc irritation or injury, muscle spasm, etc.
Cervicogenic headaches generally have the same two symptoms; neck stiffness, and increased pain/pressure in the head when certain areas around the neck are pressed. Some of the less common symptoms of cervicogenic headaches are;
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Poor concentration
- Dizziness
Cervicogenic headaches are generally best treated with a combination of manual therapy (joint mobilisations), muscle releases (soft, deep, and trigger point therapy), & exercise. The combination of these therapies will result in determining the underlying cause of the headaches, along with fully addressing the underlying cause while reducing overall pain.
Tension Headaches – acute & chronic
Tension headaches can be either acute (episodic) or chronic. The difference being the number of occurrences within a month, episodic being less than 15, & chronic being more than 15 occurrences within one month.
A tension headache can be described as a tight band of tension around your head, kind of like wearing a headband. This tension comes on slowly and gradually, and generally doesn’t get too sharp with the pain staying around that mild to moderate intensity.
The symptoms of an acute or chronic tension headache are relatively the same, due to the increased occurrence of the headaches, they can also have negative impacts on other aspects of your life. You may find;
- Difficulty sleeping
- Chronic fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Muscle aches through the shoulders and neck
- Mild to moderate light and noise
