People seek treatment for their headaches, not because of the occasional episodes, but rather for problems that have lasted for several months and have become chronic. Common complaints include migraines and tension headaches, not being able to turn one’s head fully, all-over neck soreness, stabbing pain localized to one spot on the neck, or pain that radiates as far down as the fingertips.
In fewer cases, some reason for your headaches or neck pain may be obvious — if you’ve recently been involved in a car accident or suffered an injury while playing some sports. Often, however, problems can develop through poor posture or from having to perform the same action repeatedly. In addition, a new norm of working from home has created another class of people who spend too much time on their desk working on computers with inadequate postures or in the car, resulting in back, neck and arm problems even including headaches.
Patients who seek treatment from their neck-centered issues are often surprised to learn that some other problems they’ve been experiencing might be related. So even if you think you can “live with” not being able to turn your neck fully, other problems can accumulate.
Chronic migraines or frequent bouts of tension headaches, a pinched nerve in your neck may be the culprit, rather than your lifestyle, diet or related posture. In addition, you may also notice that the problems with shoulder mobility — or radiating pains down your arms and hands can be a result of a compressed nerve in the neck vertebrae.
Untreated neck pain can even lead to issues you might surprise you, such as balance problems or trouble with your hand function and grip. That’s because each of the nerve roots located in your neck are supplying your arm and hand and the upper cervical nerves impingement can also lead to headaches and difficulty in respiration.
After a detailed assessment once we’ve explored the main reason for your headaches and neck pain, our physiotherapist will develop a treatment plan with you tailored to best suit your condition (Book an Appoinment).
In your physiotherapy treatment, you’ll be taken through exercises that build strength and flexibility of the core neck muscles and some manual therapy procedures which help facilitate vertebral motion. Our physiotherapists will also help you learn how to better position yourself during your daily activities to avoid relapses, including ergonomic and posture tips.
Contact us to find out more about our physiotherapy services in London, ON. Direct bill to WSIB, Extended Health Care (EHC), Motor Vehicle Accident Cases and Insurance Companies.