Headaches are a common complaint that osteopaths treat regularly, often causing people to miss work, school, or struggle with everyday tasks. Recurrent headaches can be especially frustrating, bringing on moderate to severe throbbing or pulsating pain in the head, neck, and jaw.
But here’s the thing—there isn’t just one type of headache. People experience a wide range of headaches, each with its own unique characteristics. That’s why, during your consultation, your osteopath will take a detailed health history to determine exactly what type of headache you’re dealing with. Factors like how long the pain lasts, where it’s located, and whether you have additional symptoms—like sensitivity to light, sound, vision issues, or nausea—can all help in figuring out the root cause.
Since different headaches have different triggers, identifying the correct type is key to finding the right treatment. Below, we’ll dive into some of the most common headaches osteopaths see and the triggers that might be making them worse.
Headaches Types, Symptoms and Triggers
Tension Type Headache
- ‘Band of pressure around the head’, tightening quality of pain, light headed, dull/aching pain
- Triggers: stress, weather and hormones, younger population, poor sleep
Migraine
- Slow onset, throbbing/pulsating pain, one side of the face/head, nausea/vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia, aura
- Triggers: fatigue, stress, activity
Cluster Headache
- Feeling restless, pain around one eye, watery eyes, congestion
- Trigger: alcohol, weather, smoking, younger men, smoking
Sinus Headache
- Fever, eye pain, congestion
- Triggers: Weather and allergies
Cervicogenic Headaches
- Decrease neck range, increase in headache with neck movements, pressure on certain points of the neck can increase headache feeling
- Sedentary behaviour, poor posture, decreased mobility in upper back and neck joints
Thunderclap Headache
- Severe onset, reaches maximum pain intensity within seconds, nausea/vomiting, weakness, concussion, changes in vision or speech
- Bleeding in the brain, intracranial pressure problems
How May Osteopath Help?
Pain is one of the most common reasons people seek osteopathic treatment, so it’s no surprise that osteopaths use a hands-on approach to help reduce pain and improve movement. When it comes to headaches, we utilise a range of techniques, including massage, stretching, dry needling, joint articulation, manipulation, radial shockwave therapy and our latest addition – laser therapy. These treatments aim to relieve pain, restore function, and help you move more freely. Additionally, we provide ergonomic and lifestyle advice to improve posture, along with exercises to keep your neck and back strong and mobile. Some of our Osteopaths have also done post graduate studies in headache treatment so we are highly qualified to help you!
For many people, headaches can become a recurring issue. That’s why we take a holistic approach—not only treating your pain but also addressing the root cause. By identifying and managing the underlying triggers, we can reduce the likelihood of headaches returning, helping you maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.
Your osteopath may also recommend specific exercises and strategies to help prevent future headaches. Staying hydrated, maintaining good posture, and incorporating regular movement into your day are all simple but effective ways to minimise headache frequency and intensity.
Final Message
Headaches are incredibly common, and as you now know, they come in many different forms. While some are mild and manageable, others can be debilitating or in rare cases, even life-threatening if left untreated. If you’re experiencing persistent or severe headaches, it’s in your best interest to have them assessed and treated. To learn more about how Osteopathy may help your headache or migraine please head to our headache page here. Don’t let headaches hold you back, get the right diagnosis and treatment so you can continue doing what you love, pain-free! If you have any questions about your headaches or migraines please reach out to me directly: alessia@pakenhamosteopathy.com.au
