Hands up if you've ever experienced a headache ✋✋✋✋✋ I think I could take a pretty solid guess that that's all of you! Headaches are common, they're annoying, painful and sometimes downright debilitating. Some of us experience them more frequently and more intensely than others. So what causes headaches and what can we do to help relieve them?
Causes of headaches
The truth is that often we just don't know what causes headaches, but here are some of the most common associated risk factors:
Dehydration
Stress
Poor quality sleep
Eyesight problems
Muscular tension, particularly in the neck.
Hormonal changes and imbalances
Diet and nutritional deficiencies
Sinus problems
Inactivity
Excessive alcohol consumption
It is very rare for a headache to be a sign of a more sinister health problem, however if you notice a change in the frequency, severity or longevity of your headaches, or if your headaches are accompanied by symptoms such as slurred speech, loss of spatial awareness, dizziness, double vision, fever, fatigue or weight loss, or if your headaches come on very suddenly (thunderclap headaches), you should seek medical advice.
Tracking your headaches
If you are experiencing frequent headaches, one of the best tools for helping you to identify any patterns and factors that may be contributing to your headaches is to keep a headache tracker. Simply keep a diary of when your headaches occur and make a note of the following:
How long the headache lasts
Severity on a scale of 1-10
Any other symptoms that you experience with it, e.g. nausea, neck pain, sensitivity to light / sound.
What you have been doing and how you have been feeling in the hours leading up to your headache, e.g.
How did you sleep the night before?
Have you been feeling stressed?
Have you been in front of a screen for a long time?
Have you drunk much water?
What have you eaten that day?
Have you been in one position for a long time, e.g. at a desk, driving, watching TV.
How much physical activity have you done that day?
For pre-menopausal women, what phase of your menstrual cycle are you in?
Hopefully after keeping your headache tracker for a while, you will start to notice a pattern and be able to pick up on some simple things that you can do to help prevent them in the future. You may notice that your headaches often occur when you haven't drunk much water that day, or after eating certain foods. You may see a pattern in your headaches occurring after you've been in front of a screen for a long time, in which case an eye test might be needed! They can also be really useful evidence to take with you to your GP if you decide to seek medical advice.
Headaches and neck pain
Cervicogenic headaches are a type of headache associated with neck pain and stiffness, they are often experienced as pain across the back and/or top of the head and generally come on gradually. As cervicogenic headaches are often caused by tension in the muscles of the neck and upper back, if you are experiencing this type of headache it is worth considering the following:
Are you spending a long time in one position?
If you work at a desk, or spend a lot of your day driving, the chances are that the answer to this question is yes! This could be contributing to a build-up of tension in your neck and upper back. Try breaking up these long periods with regular movement and changes in posture and positioning, get up from your desk frequently, go for a walk when you can and do some gentle neck stretches.
Are you feeling stressed?
When we're stressed, most of us automatically hold more tension around our upper back, neck and head, over a period of time this can lead to these areas feeling ultra-tight! Avoiding stress is not always possible, but it is possible to take a break from this stress with some simple relaxation techniques, such as breathwork, meditation and mindfulness exercises (progressive muscle relaxation is particularly good for letting go of muscular tension), or even a nice hot bath!
How much physical activity are you getting in your day?
Simply put, our bodies are designed to move and when we don't move enough this can result in stiffness, tension and muscular weakness. Movement doesn't have to be taxing, going for a screen-free walk can be a great way to relieve or prevent a cervicogenic headache, the combination of exercise, relaxation and getting out in the fresh air can work wonders! Adding some quick and easy upper back and neck exercises to your day can also be a great way to get these areas of your body moving!
When was your last massage?! 😉
OK, so massage won't fix the underlying causes of your cervicogenic headaches, but it can certainly help to temporarily relieve the painful symptoms, ease muscular tension, help you to relax and de-stress and it feels amazing, what more could anyone want?!
If you're struggling with neck pain and headaches, soft tissue therapy would be a great choice for you! The combination of a thorough consultation and assessment, massage and manual therapy, movement and lifestyle advice provides a comprehensive course of treatments to help keep those headaches at bay!
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