“Well, yes,” she said. “I’ve always had headaches and, now that you mention it, they seem to be worse when my neck hurts.” Cindy went on to say she suffered from them as often as 2-3 times a week and typically treated them with ibuprofen.
Like many Americans, Cindy suffers from chronic, frequent headaches. Her neck pain finally prompted her to seek help, but she was so used to the headaches, she thought they were something she simply had to live with. What Cindy didn’t understand was that frequent headaches are not normal and, with a little proactive planning, there is something that can be done to manage and even prevent them.
Types of Headaches: Headaches come in many varieties. Following is a short list of the most common types.
Migraines: Migraine headaches occur when the blood vessels in the brain become dilated, usually due to a chemical reaction, such as food allergies or a stress response. They often start with visual disturbances and quickly develop into severe head pain accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and sensitivity to light. They’re usually felt on one side of the head, but can be on both sides. Migraines are often managed with medications and avoidance of foods known to trigger them, such as red wine, chocolate, aged cheese, and nuts. However, some bodywork techniques can also be effective in easing migraines or decreasing the frequency of these painful headaches.
Tension Headaches: Exaggerated by stress, tension headaches are related to poor posture, jaw problems (such as temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMJ), and neck pain. Many people describe a headache that starts at the base of the skull and then moves in an arc over the ears and behind the eyes. Tension headaches are most often caused or exacerbated by poor posture, work station positions, and body mechanics, creating undue stress on the upper neck muscles.
Mixed Headaches: The term mixed headache is used to describe a tension headache that leads to a migraine. Typically, the tension headache starts first and the chemicals produced from the pain of it create conditions for a migraine to develop. In people with patterns of mixed headaches, the best way to avoid the onset of a migraine is to treat the tension headache.
Bodywork Options: A treatment regimen that includes bodywork, attention to body position, and stress management can help prevent or greatly reduce the frequency of headaches, in turn reducing your reliance on medication and the need to avoid food triggers. There are many different bodywork techniques, each with specific approaches for treating headaches. Following is a short list of techniques often effective in treating recurring headaches.
Swedish Massage: A tension headache, by its very name, implies the presence of stress and tension. Swedish massage, on the other hand, promotes relaxation and relieves muscle tension. When muscles become tight due to stress or poor posture, they eventually adapt a chronically shortened state. Swedish massage teaches the body how to let go of muscle tension and resets muscle tone.
Integrative Bodywork.Rolfing, Hellerwork, Structural Integration, and CORE are examples of the types of bodywork designed to improve posture and structural alignment. A primary cause of chronic headaches is poor posture, which produces tension in the neck and shoulders because the weight of the head is not properly balanced on top of the spine. Integrative bodywork can produce lasting postural change for greater ease of movement. By selectively freeing the soft tissues, integrative bodywork literally can change postural alignment and remove the stresses and strains on the muscles that cause headaches.
Deep Tissue Therapies: The integrative therapies mentioned above, as well as neuromuscular therapy and myofascial release, use similar techniques to free connective tissue. A chronically tensed muscle tends to maintain that tension, even after the stressful event has passed. Deep tissue techniques free the connective tissue glue, creating a new way for the muscle to function.
Reflexology: Like acupuncture, reflexology works to move energy blockages in the body. By stimulating points on the feet that correspond to organs in the body, reflexologists can promote relaxation, reduce pain, and restore energy flow. Several scientific studies have shown that reflexology is a viable treatment for migraines, in some cases working as well as, or better than, medication–and without the side effects.
Craniosacral Therapy: Craniosacral therapy addresses the inherent, gentle, rhythmic movement of the bones in the skull and their effect on the fluid that surrounds, bathes, and cushions the brain and spinal cord and runs throughout the body. Cranial bones move in miniscule amounts as a response to the production and absorption of cranial fluid. With head trauma, whiplash injury, or even severe stress, cranial bone movement can be compromised, resulting in headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, or vision disturbances. This therapy restores the normal movement of the cranial bones and fluid.
By addressing the root of the problem, regularly scheduled bodywork sessions can greatly reduce headaches as well as your need for medication. Remember, headaches are not normal, and you don’t have to live with them.
"Naam, ndiyo", akasema. "Sikuzote nimekuwa na maumivu ya kichwa na, sasa unaposema, yanaonekana kuwa mabaya zaidi wakati shingo yangu inawaka.""Cindy aliendelea kusema kwamba aliteseka mara 2-3 kwa wiki na kwa kawaida aliwatibu kwa ibuprofen." Kama Wamarekani wengi, Cindy anaugua maumivu ya kichwa ya kudumu na ya mara kwa mara. Alisikitika sana na maumivu ya shingo, lakini alizoea maumivu ya kichwa na akaamua kuishi nayo. Kile ambacho Cindy hakuelewa ni kwamba maumivu ya kichwa ya mara kwa mara si ya kawaida na, kwa kupanga kidogo kwa bidii, kuna kitu kinachoweza kufanywa ili kuyadhibiti na hata kuyazuia. Aina za maumivu ya kichwa: Maumivu ya kichwa hutokea kwa njia mbalimbali. Yafuatayo ni orodha fupi ya aina za kawaida zaidi. Migraine: Migraine hutokea wakati mishipa ya damu katika ubongo inapoongezeka, kwa kawaida kwa sababu ya athari za kemikali, kama vile mzio wa chakula au majibu ya mkazo. Mara nyingi huanza kwa matatizo ya kuona na haraka kugeuka kuwa maumivu makali ya kichwa yanayoambatana na kichefuchefu, kutapika, kizunguzungu, na hisi ya nuru. Kwa kawaida huhisiwa upande mmoja wa kichwa, lakini zinaweza kuwa pande zote mbili. Migraine inaweza pia kushughulikiwa kwa kutumia dawa na kuepuka vyakula vinavyojulikana kuwa vinavyozalisha migraine, kama vile divai nyekundu, chokoleti, jibini, na karanga. Hata hivyo, mbinu fulani za kufanya kazi za mwili zaweza pia kuwa zenye matokeo katika kupunguza kipandauso au kupunguza mzunguko wa maumivu hayo ya kichwa. Ugonjwa wa kichwa wa msongo: Ugonjwa wa kichwa wa msongo unahusishwa na msimamo mbaya, matatizo ya taya (kama vile ugonjwa wa pamoja wa temporomandibular, au TMJ), na maumivu ya shingo. Watu wengi hueleza maumivu ya kichwa yanayoanza kwenye sehemu ya chini ya fuvu la kichwa na kisha kuenea kwenye masikio na nyuma ya macho. Ugonjwa wa kichwa unaosababishwa na mishipa ya shingo huchochewa na msimamo mbaya, nafasi za kazi, na utaratibu wa mwili, na hivyo kusababisha mkazo usiofaa kwenye misuli ya shingo ya juu. "Michoro ya kichwa ya mchanganyiko: ""Michoro ya kichwa mchanganyiko"" ni neno linalotumiwa kuelezea maumivu ya kichwa ya mkazo ambayo husababisha kipandauso." Kwa kawaida, maumivu ya kichwa ya mkazo huanza kwanza na kemikali zinazotokezwa kutokana na maumivu ya kichwa huunda hali ya kuendeleza kipandauso. Kwa watu wenye maumivu ya kichwa ya mchanganyiko, njia bora ya kuepuka mgongo ni kutibu maumivu ya kichwa ya mkazo. Chaguo la matibabu: Mfumo wa matibabu unaojumuisha kazi ya mwili, uangalifu kwa nafasi ya mwili, na usimamizi wa mkazo unaweza kusaidia kuzuia au kupunguza sana mzunguko wa maumivu ya kichwa, na kwa upande huo kupunguza utegemezi wako kwa dawa na hitaji la kuepuka vichocheo vya chakula. Kuna mbinu nyingi tofauti za kufanya kazi ya mwili, kila moja ikiwa na mbinu hususa za kutibu maumivu ya kichwa. Yafuatayo ni orodha fupi ya mbinu ambazo mara nyingi ni zenye matokeo katika kutibu maumivu ya kichwa yanayorudiwa-rudiwa. Upasuaji wa Uswidi: Kichwa cha mkazo, kwa jina lake, huonyesha kuwa kuna mkazo na mkazo. Kwa upande mwingine, kupasua kwa Kiswidi huchangia kupumzika na kupunguza mkazo wa misuli. Wakati misuli inapoanza kukasirika kwa sababu ya mkazo au msimamo mbaya, hatimaye hujipatanisha na hali ya kufupishwa kwa muda mrefu. Mazoezi ya Kiswidi hufundisha mwili jinsi ya kuachilia mkazo wa misuli na kurekebisha sauti ya misuli. Mifumo ya mwili ya Integrative (Rolfing, Hellerwork, Structural Integration, na Core) ni mifumo ya mwili iliyoundwa ili kuboresha msimamo na usawa wa muundo. Kisa cha kwanza cha maumivu ya kichwa ni msimamo mbaya wa mwili, ambao husababisha mvutano katika shingo na mabega kwa sababu uzito wa kichwa haujalinganishwa vizuri juu ya uti wa mgongo. Kazi ya mwili ya ushirikiano inaweza kuzalisha mabadiliko ya kudumu ya msimamo kwa urahisi zaidi wa harakati. Kwa kuchagua kutolewa kwa tishu laini, kazi ya mwili ya kuunganisha inaweza kubadilisha usawa wa mwili na kuondoa mkazo na mkazo kwenye misuli ambayo husababisha maumivu ya kichwa. Tiba ya tishu ya kina: Tiba ya kuunganisha iliyotajwa hapo juu, pamoja na tiba ya neuromuscular na kutolewa kwa myofascial, hutumia mbinu sawa za kutolewa kwa tishu ya kuunganisha. Misuli iliyofadhaika kwa muda mrefu huelekea kudumisha mkazo huo, hata baada ya tukio lenye mkazo kupita. Mbinu za tishu za kina huondoa gundi ya tishu ya kuunganisha, na kuunda njia mpya ya misuli kufanya kazi. Reflexology: Kama vile acupuncture, reflexology inafanya kazi ya kuhamisha vizuizi vya nishati mwilini. Kwa kuchochea sehemu za miguu zinazolingana na viungo vya mwili, wataalamu wa matibabu ya dalili za kutikisa miguu wanaweza kusaidia kupumzika, kupunguza maumivu, na kurudisha mtiririko wa nishati. Uchunguzi kadhaa wa kisayansi umeonyesha kwamba reflexology ni matibabu ya kuweza kutumika kwa migraines, katika baadhi ya kesi kufanya kazi kama vile, au bora kuliko, dawa <unk> na bila athari za upande. Craniosacral Therapy: Tiba ya Craniosacral inashughulikia harakati ya asili, laini, ya mdundo wa mifupa katika fuvu la kichwa na athari zao kwenye kioevu kinachozunguka, kuoga, na kufunika ubongo na uti wa mgongo na kukimbia katika mwili wote. Mifupa ya fuvu la kichwa huhama-hama kwa kiasi kidogo sana ili kukabiliana na utengenezaji na kunyonya maji ya fuvu la kichwa. Kwa sababu ya majeraha ya kichwa, whiplash, au hata mkazo mkali, mwendo wa mifupa ya fuvu la kichwa unaweza kuathiriwa, na kusababisha maumivu ya kichwa, kizunguzungu, sauti ya masikio, au matatizo ya kuona. Tiba hii hurudisha mwendo wa kawaida wa mifupa ya fuvu la kichwa na umajimaji. Kwa kushughulikia chanzo cha tatizo, vipindi vya mazoezi ya mwili vilivyopangwa kwa ukawaida vinaweza kupunguza sana maumivu ya kichwa na pia uhitaji wako wa dawa. Kumbuka, maumivu ya kichwa si ya kawaida, na si lazima uishi nayo.