Headaches can be incredibly debilitating and have a profound impact on our lives preventing us from living a “normal” life. Migraines can leave 90 per cent of sufferers unable to perform even the most simple of tasks, and the world health organisation estimates that the UK loses 25 million days from work or school each year because of migraines alone.

Headache literally means a pain in your head, whether it is the face, back of the head, forehead, scalp, behind the eyes etc, and there are numerous types of headaches with a dizzying array of subtypes and causes. To try o put some order to this headaches are usually grouped by cause with the most common causes being:

1. Migraine

2. Tension type headache

3. Cervical dysfunction (pain coming from the bones in your neck)

4. Upper respiratory infection

5. Sinusitis

6. Cluster headache

7. Drug associated (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, high blood pressure tablets, stopping analgesics)

8. Depression

This short list is by not even close to complete, there are of course many more, some of which are more serious such as tumours, meningitis, haemorrhages and glaucoma (to name a few). These must always be considered but we should also keep in mind these are far more rare.

For many of the most common causes of headaches, osteopathy can make a big difference to your life. Tight muscles in your neck and shoulders can be a major contributing factor both causing, and being caused by, headaches. Problems in the neck can often aggravate migraines and be key to eliminating other types of headaches, such as tension headaches and cervicogenic headaches.

OUR APPROACH

A full clinical, orthopaedic and neurological examination helps identify not only the cause of your headaches but also anything that may be contributing to it. Once the cause is established we will explain it to you in a way you can understand. We will also let you know how we can help and whether we need to make any referrals.

Often, depending on the cause, treatment can start immediately to help relieve your pain and usually includes a combination of soft tissue massage, joint mobilisation, stretching, manipulation and acupuncture. However please be assured that you are able to choose if you would prefer not to have any particular treatment.

You will also be provided a wealth of advice including exercises and lifestyle advice. In addition, we can also do an ergonomic assessment to ensure your working environment does not contribute to your pain.

Your local Farnham based osteopath, here to help you find your health and get that incredible machine that is your body working for you again. Please do get in touch at enquiries@outlinehealth.com or call 01252 850814.