Therapy for Headaches

​Headaches are a very common problem people face today.  Migraine headaches are extremely debilitating and can cause significant limitations in what you can do. Migraines are often treated with various medicines.

Sometimes headaches do not respond to migraine treatment and doctors may consider the possibility of another cause. One of these originates with problems in the upper cervical spine which refers pain up into the head.

According to the website migraines.com, these cervico-genic headaches (CGH) oftentimes start with pain at the base of your head and can radiate to the lower jaw or over the top of the head and possibly into the eye. People often experience tightness in the muscles of their back, neck, shoulder, and upper chest.

Physical therapy can be used to address posture, tightness, and strengthening of the muscles of your neck. The therapist will also instruct the person in a customized home exercise program to complement the physical therapy.  This can often be a successful treatment in reducing the influence of the neck on the headaches. If successful, the individual can continue with their exercises and reduce dependency on medicine, therapists, and physicians.

Call us today if you would like to be evaluated to see if we can help you with your headaches: 616-662-0990.

​Steve Bartz, PT