How To Manage Vestibular Migraines
Have you noticed pain on one side of your head? Do you have tension in the neck that radiates up and leaves you with a nagging headache? There are many different types of headaches and various causes for each of them. Fortunately, the therapists at Dr. Physio Therapy & Wellness in Fort Lauderdale know how to figure out where your headaches are coming from and the quickest way to get rid of them! If you live with chronic headaches or vestibular migraines, physical therapy can help you find relief. Manual therapy and hands-on treatments can help with pain relief by easing the tension in your muscles. Our physical therapists focus on specific pressure points to bring the myofascial tissue back to its elastic form, thus alleviating your headaches.
Every headache requires a different approach to resolving them, which is why attempting to treat every headache you experience with the same treatment or medication doesn’t work. Fortunately, at Dr. Physio Therapy & Wellness in Fort Lauderdale, our physical therapists will skillfully address your individual needs.
Give our office a call today and request an appointment!
How myofascial release and vestibular rehab can help you find migraine relief
If you live with headaches or migraines, you know how painful and debilitating they can be. Attacks are usually characterized by painful throbbing or pulsing on one side of the head, which can also be accompanied by changes in vision, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, or sensitivity to sound.
Dizziness is one of the most common causes of dysfunction in the vestibular system, both peripheral (inner ear, vestibular nerve) and central (brainstem, cerebellum). If you’re experiencing dizziness, your migraine may be related to a vestibular problem. Fortunately, at (practice name), our therapists can help you figure out the source of your symptoms and guide you to a solution that works.
Often with persistent migraines, the muscles around your neck become tight, your mobility of the affected area becomes restricted, and any movements you make can result in more pain. Our skilled therapists may use myofascial release to alleviate the tension by loosening up the constricted space, thus promoting more effortless mobility and less pain.
This targeted treatment addressing the root cause of your migraine headaches has been known to relieve the pain by massaging the tightened muscles around the head and neck. Addressing the vestibular system promotes a quicker healing process.
What to expect at your physical therapy visits
Your therapist will perform a thorough assessment to identify the type of headache you are experiencing and the treatments that will be the most beneficial. The main emphasis of physical therapy is giving you the tools to manage your pain.
We will educate you on the most effective exercises and postures to complement our hands-on interventions. Our goals include the following:
- Reduce pain quickly through myofascial release and other manual therapy techniques
- Reduce pain with postural education and targeted movements/exercises
- Minimize the risk of recurring pain through strengthening exercises and behavioral changes
- Minimize the use of medication or surgery to eliminate pain
Manual therapies, including myofascial techniques, effectively reduce pain. However, when combined with targeted stretches, the results improve even more! Our therapists will identify specific stretches to alleviate pain and restore your motion. In addition, we will educate you on the movements and positions that are provoking your pain.
Our team will thoroughly evaluate your inner ears and eye-tracking capabilities. This way, they’ll be able to pinpoint the exact issue affecting your balance. Every program is developed by identifying your deficits. For example, if your symptoms are due to an inner ear problem, you must learn how to do some self-treatment exercises.
Vestibular rehabilitation is a process of adaptation and compensation to reprogram or reset the connections with the brain to restore balance and stability. Our programs focus on the following:
- Vision stability training enhances the stability of your gaze
- Posture training to improve your stability
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Balance retraining
- Walking exercises
- Neck mobility/stretching exercises
- Restoring your ability to perform the activities of daily living you have been avoiding
We will prescribe a treatment plan of specific exercises, targeted stretches, and movement techniques to reset and improve your vestibular system and regain balance. In addition, we will conduct a balance assessment to complement vestibular rehabilitation therapy.
It’s important to address issues when they begin, so they do not worsen over time. Too often, people wait until they have severe headaches. Typically the longer you wait, the more challenging it is to reduce your pain. Regular manual sessions and vestibular rehabilitation can reduce and prevent future episodes.
Call today to request an appointment!
If you are experiencing neck pain and/or chronic headaches and think you could benefit from physical therapy, call Dr. Physio Therapy & Wellness in Fort Lauderdale office today. At our clinic, our physical therapists will provide you with a thorough evaluation to determine how our treatment methods will benefit you.
We understand how inhibiting pain and stiffness can be, and we want to help get you back to a migraine-free life!