Headache and migraine physiotherapy in Melbourne
You're not alone in your search for a solution to persistent headaches and migraines. Many treatments fail because they don't address the root cause, focusing instead on symptoms alone. Each person's experience is unique—whether it's headaches, dizziness, nausea, or sensitivity to light and sound.
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we conduct thorough assessments to gain a deep understanding of how your specific condition presents. This approach allows us to make accurate diagnoses and establish clear benchmarks for your improvement.
Our initial treatment phase is designed to bring quick relief. Within just two weeks, we aim to address the underlying dysfunctions causing your pain, setting you on a path to effective self-management. Our methods focus on slow, hands on techniques and rehabilitation—never involving spinal manipulation or "cracking"—making them both safe and effective.
Understanding headaches and migraines
Types of headaches we treat
The most frequent types of headaches we treat include tension headaches, migraines, and cervicogenic headaches, which stem from dysfunction in the upper neck joints. Cervicogenic headaches are typically one-sided and accompanied by neck pain, often triggered by poor posture, injuries, or age-related conditions like osteoarthritis.
Distinguishing between different types of headaches can be challenging due to overlapping symptoms. For instance, while neck pain is common in migraines, tension-type headaches, and cervicogenic headaches, the source of the pain differs. Accurate diagnosis is crucial, and our team at Keilor Road Physiotherapy are experts in identifying and managing various headache types. If needed, we can refer you to trusted specialists for further evaluation.
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we specialize in treating a wide range of headache and migraine conditions, including:
Cervicogenic headache: Pain originating from the neck, often one-sided and accompanied by reduced neck movement.
Migraines: Intense, throbbing headaches often associated with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, lasting hours to days.
Migraines with aura: Migraines preceded by visual disturbances, such as flashing lights or blind spots, or other sensory changes.
Tension-type headaches: Characterized by a dull, aching sensation often described as a tight band around the head.
Vestibular migraines: Migraines accompanied by vertigo, dizziness, and balance problems.
Menstrual migraines: Headaches linked to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, typically occurring before or during menstruation.
Cluster headaches: Severe, recurring headaches characterized by intense pain around one eye, often occurring in cyclical patterns.
Post-concussion syndrome: Persistent headaches following a concussion or mild traumatic brain injury, often accompanied by other symptoms.
We also treat dizziness and vertigo-related conditions such as BPPV and vestibular neuritis. Our medication-free approach focuses on long-term improvement, aiming to reduce or eliminate the need for ongoing medication.
Treatment technique for the upper cervical spine, to help decrease headache.
Common causes and triggers of migraines and headaches
There are many types of headaches and migraines, each with unique features. For instance, migraines often come with additional symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light, while tension-type headaches may present as a constant, dull ache. Our experts can help you identify your specific type of headache and create a tailored treatment plan.
Headaches and migraines can be debilitating, but understanding their triggers can play a significant role in managing and reducing their frequency and intensity. While both conditions share some common triggers, they also have distinct differences that can help in their identification and treatment.
Common triggers for headaches
Stress: One of the most common triggers, stress can lead to tension headaches due to muscle tightness around the head, neck, and shoulders.
Poor posture: Sitting or standing improperly, especially for long periods, can strain the muscles of the neck and head, leading to headaches.
Dehydration: Even mild dehydration can cause headaches. Ensuring adequate water intake is crucial, especially in hot weather or during physical activity.
Eye strain: Prolonged screen time or reading without breaks can cause headaches due to strain on the eyes and associated muscles.
Sleep disturbances: Both insufficient sleep and oversleeping can trigger headaches. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is key to prevention.
Dietary factors: Skipping meals, consuming too much caffeine, or eating certain foods like processed meats, aged cheeses, or foods with high sugar content can lead to headaches.
Common triggers for migraines
Hormonal changes: Fluctuations in estrogen, particularly in women, can trigger migraines, especially around menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause.
Environmental factors: Bright lights, loud sounds, strong odors, or changes in weather (especially pressure changes) can set off a migraine.
Food and drink: Certain foods and beverages are known triggers for migraines. Common culprits include alcohol (especially red wine), aged cheeses, chocolate, and foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Sleep irregularities: Unlike headaches, migraines can be triggered by both too little and too much sleep, making it essential to find a balance.
Sensory overload: Migraines are often triggered by sensory stimuli that might not affect others, such as flickering lights, loud music, or intense smells.
Physical exertion: Intense physical activity, especially when not adequately prepared for or if the body is dehydrated, can trigger migraines.
Stress and anxiety: While stress can also cause headaches, in migraines, it’s the buildup and release of stress that often triggers the attack.
Differentiating between headaches and migraines
While headaches and migraines share some triggers, the conditions themselves have distinct characteristics:
Pain location and intensity:
Headaches: Typically cause a dull, aching pain that can be felt across the forehead, temples, or back of the head. The pain is usually mild to moderate.
Migraines: Often present as a severe, throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head. The pain is typically more intense than a headache and can last from a few hours to several days.
Associated symptoms:
Headaches: Rarely come with additional symptoms other than mild sensitivity to light or sound in some cases.
Migraines: Frequently accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light (photophobia), sound (phonophobia), and even certain smells. Some people experience visual disturbances known as auras, which precede the migraine.
Duration:
Headaches: Generally last for a shorter period, from 30 minutes to several hours.
Migraines: Can last much longer, often persisting for hours or even days without treatment.
Triggers:
Headaches: More likely triggered by external physical factors like muscle strain, dehydration, or posture.
Migraines: More sensitive to internal factors such as hormonal changes, dietary choices, and sensory stimuli.
Frequency:
Headaches: Occur more frequently and might be part of a daily routine, especially in the case of tension headaches.
Migraines: Tend to be episodic, with individuals experiencing attacks periodically, though some may suffer from chronic migraines, which occur 15 or more days a month.
Understanding your personal triggers and learning to distinguish between headaches and migraines is essential for effective management and treatment. At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we specialize in identifying these triggers and offering tailored treatment plans. Whether it’s stress management, posture correction, or more in-depth treatment for migraines, our experienced team is here to help you find relief. If you’re experiencing frequent headaches or migraines, book an appointment with us today to start your journey towards a pain-free life.
How physiotherapy helps with headaches and migraines- more than just pain management
Are you tired of treatments that only mask your symptoms without addressing the root cause of your headaches or migraines? Many treatments, including medications, focus solely on symptom relief, leaving the underlying issues unresolved. This often leads to prolonged suffering.
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we follow the latest research to address the root causes of migraines and headaches. Dysfunction in the upper cervical vertebrae is a common contributor, and our assessments help pinpoint the exact cause of your pain. Our personalized treatment plans are designed to not only relieve your symptoms but also prevent their recurrence.
What to expect from our expert headache and migraine physios
Initial assessment and diagnosis
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, our initial assessment involves a comprehensive evaluation of your headache history, triggers, and associated symptoms. We utilize a detailed questioning process along with physical examinations to determine the underlying causes of your headache or migraine, whether they stem from tension, cervical issues, or other factors. Our physiotherapists may also assess your posture, neck mobility, and muscle tension. This thorough assessment helps us formulate a personalized treatment plan, incorporating advanced techniques such as hands-on treatment and the Watson Technique, which targets specific muscle and joint dysfunctions to alleviate pain, fast.
Treatment techniques for headache and migraine relief - The Watson Headache Technique®
We use a specialized technique to diagnose and treat headaches and migraines called the Watson Headache Technique, focusing on the precise nature of your condition and the specific spinal joints involved, removing any guesswork or the need for cracking or manipulation. Our approach is evidence-based, with a track record of successfully treating thousands of patients, some of whom have suffered from chronic headaches and migraines for decades.
A distinctive and powerful aspect of the Watson Headache® Approach is its ability to temporarily reproduce and then ease your typical headache pain during the assessment. This not only confirms the origin of your pain but also provides immediate relief.
Over the past 20 years, research has pinpointed the source of irritation in headaches and migraines to the trigemino-cervical complex within the brainstem. This area processes nerve signals from both the trigeminal nerve (which affects the head and face) and the upper three cervical nerves. It has been found that in individuals who frequently suffer from headaches, regardless of the type (such as migraines or tension headaches), the trigemino-cervical complex remains in a constant state of irritation. This persistent irritation disrupts our body's 'stress-response' system.
It's like having a powder keg that’s ready to explode at the slightest trigger.
This is why seemingly unrelated factors—like stress, hormonal changes, lack of sleep, skipping meals, or sitting in a hot car—can all set off a headache. These factors act as 'stressors' that ignite the powder keg.
The typical medical approach often involves avoiding these triggers and using medications to suppress the brainstem's activity. However, it's nearly impossible to avoid all stressors, and medications can have side effects by altering the function of neuromodulators (such as serotonin and noradrenaline) and acute inflammation responses (like CGRP), which are essential for healing. This can lead to issues in the gut, brain function, and even, surprisingly, more headaches.
The only way to address the root cause of the problem is through treatments that reduce the brainstem's overactivity. Dean Watson's groundbreaking PhD research demonstrates that this is precisely what the Watson Headache treatment accomplishes. The neck not only directly connects to the headache center but also to areas controlling dizziness, vertigo, nausea, blood pressure, metallic tastes, acrid smells, alertness, memory, sleep, and brain fog. During your assessment, we will determine if your neck is contributing to this irritation. While many patients experience neck symptoms and recognize them as part of the problem, 30% of those we treat here at Keilor Road Physiotherapy have no neck symptoms at all.
Whether your pain has persisted for weeks or years, we can accurately determine if the upper three segments of your neck are the cause and, if so, offer effective, long-term relief. At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we are committed to helping those who suffer from headaches and migraines find lasting solutions.
Why choose Keilor Road Physiotherapy for headache treatment?
Our success rates with headache patients
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, 80% of our patients show treatable dysfunctions linked to their headaches or migraines, and 90% of these patients experience significant improvements within the first two weeks. We use natural, drug-free techniques to correct biomechanical issues and gently realign the body, reducing pressure on tissues and nerves.
While we can't guarantee success for everyone, the vast majority of our patients see a significant reduction—or even complete resolution—of their recurring headache, migraine, or dizziness issues. Our focus is on treating the underlying cause, not just the symptoms, to help you achieve lasting results.
Expert physiotherapists specialising in migraines
Our goal is to achieve noticeable improvements in your headache or migraine symptoms quickly. Within a short timeframe, many of our patients experience significant reductions in the intensity, frequency, and duration of their pain. If our treatment isn’t the right fit for you, we’ll guide you toward other options to ensure you find long-term relief.
FAQs
-
At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we often find that the neck can be a silent contributor to headaches and migraines, including vestibular migraines. Our bodies can adeptly tune out chronic discomfort, much like adapting to the feel of clothing. It's not uncommon for patients to be unaware of the neck's role until a skilled physiotherapist assesses and identifies subtle dysfunctions. Our evaluations frequently reveal that even without overt neck pain, there can be significant stiffness and tenderness in the upper cervical regions that directly correlate with migraine symptoms. This discovery is often a revelation to those who have endured undiagnosed symptoms and ineffective treatments.
-
No, migraines, including vestibular migraines, typically do not appear on MRI scans as they are functional disorders rather than structural anomalies in the brain. At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we understand that while MRIs are crucial for excluding other serious conditions, they are not diagnostic tools for migraines. Instead, our focus is on a thorough clinical evaluation to understand the symptom patterns and triggers associated with vestibular migraines, ensuring that our treatment approaches are precisely tailored to our patients' needs.
-
Keilor Road Physiotherapy utilizes the Watson Headache® Approach, which differs significantly from standard physiotherapy, chiropractic, or osteopathic treatments. This method is specifically designed to address the root causes of headache and migraine symptoms through precise assessment and treatment of the upper cervical spine. Our approach avoids aggressive manipulations, focusing instead on gentle, targeted corrections that alleviate the neurological and muscular triggers of vestibular migraines. We aim for significant improvement within a short treatment span, emphasizing self-management techniques to empower our patients.
-
While headaches can be alarming, they are rarely indicative of a brain tumor. At Keilor Road Physiotherapy, we reassure our patients that headaches, particularly those consistent with migraine patterns, are generally not linked to tumors. Comprehensive assessments are crucial, especially if there are sudden changes in the nature of your headaches or additional symptoms like nausea, confusion, or neurological deficits. For children, any new or changing headache patterns should always be thoroughly investigated due to different clinical implications.
-
Headaches can be a symptom of various underlying conditions, some of which may require medical attention, even if they are rare. It's important to consult your doctor if:
You experience a new and intense headache. Any sudden onset of severe head pain should be evaluated for potential underlying medical issues.
Your usual headache pattern changes significantly. This could involve changes in the location, intensity, frequency, or duration of your headaches, especially if you have a long history of headaches.
You develop an unusual headache following neck trauma.
Your headache symptoms vary notably when changing positions, such as lying down or standing up.
Typical headaches or migraines usually begin between the ages of 15 and 50. If you develop headaches or migraines outside this age range, they should be assessed by a doctor.
You experience a stiff neck, back pain (thoracic or lumbar), or sciatica (pain radiating down one leg) within a few days of a severe headache.
Your headache is accompanied by neurological symptoms such as numbness, tingling, confusion, loss of coordination, or cognitive issues.
If your headaches or migraines have been consistent over time, follow a predictable pattern, and have been previously investigated by your doctor, it is likely that you have a benign primary headache. In this case, consider a professional assessment of your upper cervical spine.
-
The timeline for relief can vary based on the type and severity of your headache or migraine. Many patients experience significant improvements in their first session, especially when treated with hands-on techniques that focus on muscle relaxation and joint mobilization. The Watson Technique, known for its effective management of cervicogenic headaches, can also provide rapid relief by addressing specific dysfunctions in the cervical spine. Our physiotherapists will work closely with you to monitor your progress and adjust your treatment plan accordingly, aiming for the quickest recovery possible while ensuring long-term management strategies are in place.
-
Physiotherapy can be highly effective for many types of headaches, particularly tension-type and cervicogenic headaches. By addressing the underlying musculoskeletal issues, our physiotherapists can help reduce frequency and intensity. The combination of hands-on treatment and the Watson Technique allows us to target specific areas contributing to headache symptoms. However, it’s important to note that not all headaches are suitable for physiotherapy intervention. Migraines and other primary headaches may require different approaches. Our assessment will determine the best course of action tailored to your specific condition.
Book your headache physio consultation today
Servicing Niddrie, Essendon, Airport West, Keilor & the Northern suburbs for over 40 years, you can book with one of our highly trained head & neck experts online here or call 93794557 to speak to one of our admin superstars and leave that pain in the head behind!