Headaches
Why do I have a headache?
There are several causes of headaches. Whilst headaches can range from a nuisance to very painful, most are not serious.
Common causes of headaches include:
- Stress and tension
- Viruses (such as a cold or flu)
- Poor posture
- Dehydration
- Poor eyesight
- High blood pressure
- Hormonal imbalances
- Sinusitis
- Allergies and food intolerances
- Alcohol
Cautions
You should get an urgent GP appointment if you have a severe headache that is associated with:
- Blurred/double vision
- Jaw pain when eating
- A sore scalp
- Numbness or weakness in your arms or legs
You should go to A&E or call 999 if you have an extremely painful headache associated with:
- Sudden problems with memory or speech
- Loss of vision
- Drowsiness or confusion
- A very high temperature and symptoms of meningitis
- A red ‘white of your eye’
What can I do to help if I suffer from headaches?
- Keep hydrated.
- Aim to sleep 7-8 hours per night.
- Move regularly throughout the day.
- Minimise screen work.
- Get your eyes tested
- Limit your alcohol intake
How can Castle Clinic help my headaches?
When seeing one of our practitioners at Castle Clinic, we will take a thorough medical history and examine you, to establish a probable cause. Once we know the cause of your headache, we can advise you on how best to treat it. Often headaches can be helped by simple changes in lifestyle or by one of the various treatments at Castle Clinic.
What appointment should I book?
Many of our different therapies address headaches, and the causes behind them. Here is a summary of the different approaches and how they can help. If after reading this you are still unsure who to book with, please get in touch and we will direct you to the most suitable therapy for you.
Acupuncture can help headaches by offering pain relief, reducing inflammation and stimulating muscle relaxation.
Chiropractic relieves headaches by using spinal manipulation and mobilisation to alleviate muscle tension in the muscles of the head and neck, improve neck mobility and posture. Your chiropractor will also offer guidance on your posture when at work or driving, which may help.
Health Kinesiology uses muscle testing to identify imbalances in the body that could be hindering your body’s proper function, leading to headaches. Health Kinesiology can also be used to carry out an alternative allergy test, to identify any intolerances or sensitives to foods or products that could be causing your headaches.
Herbal Medicine can be used to create personalised herbal remedies and tinctures to target the cause of your headaches.
Indian Head Massage uses soothing, flowing movements and firm pressure on specific points to ease tension in the muscles of the head and neck, reduce stress and promote relaxation.
Osteopathy helps improve the symptoms of headaches by using joint and spinal mobilisation, along with traction, massage and stretch techniques to decompress the neck, reduce muscle tension and improve posture. Your osteopath may advise you on your sitting posture when at your desk or when driving as this might help.
Physiotherapy can support the recovery of headaches by working with exercises to improve flexibility, strength and posture of the neck and upper back. Advise on how to set up your workstation is given, if necessary, in order to minimise the physical stresses on your head, neck and upper back.
Reflexology uses precise application of pressure to reflex points on the feet, hands, ears and face that correlate with particular organs, glands or systems within the body. Reflexology aims to restore balance to encourage the body to heal itself. Reflexology also helps promote relaxation and alleviate stress.
Sports Massage can be used to locate, identify and treat areas of specific tensions within the neck, shoulders and upper back, that are manifesting as headaches, caused by injury or poor posture.
Tsuboki is a Japanese facial massage that blends massage techniques with the therapeutic benefits of acupressure. This helps to promote relaxation, increase circulation to the head and neck and reduce muscle tension.