Causes of Headaches

The most common type of headache originates from muscle stiffness or joint strain in the neck and upper thoracic region. Other causes include:

• eye strain
• sinus congestion
• whiplash injury
• stress
• poor posture
• jaw imbalance and teeth grinding
• infection
• allergies and food intolerances.

Your Osteopath Can Help

Your osteopath will:

• improving your general mobility
• improving the mobility of your ribs and thoracic and cervical spine
• reducing muscular tension, nerve compression and inflammation
• improving blood supply and drainage to and from the head and neck
• advising on posture, exercise and stretching to help prevent a recurrence of symptoms
• offering guidance on diet and hydration
• advising on improving the ergonomics of your home or workplace.

Osteopaths, as primary health care practitioners, are trained to differentiate between headaches with common causes and those due to serious pathology.

You should always seek advice from a health professional, including an osteopath, if you get a headache after a head trauma and/or the headache is getting worse. You should also seek professional advice if the headache is accompanied by:

• fever
• nausea or vomiting
• bleeding or fluid draining from the nose or ears
• dizziness
• blurred vision or speech
• numbness, tingling or paralysis.

Did you know?

• headaches are one of the most common medical complaints. A severe headache is rarely caused by serious underlying disease.
• your osteopath may be able to assist with treatments that reduce the need for headache medications
• your osteopath is a primary health care practitioner with the training and skills to assess your complaint and develop the most effective course of action
• your osteopath can assess structural changes that may lead to immobility, pain and dysfunction. Your osteopath will perform a thorough physical examination, including observation and palpation, to form a diagnosis and treatment plan.

What is Osteopathy?

Osteopathy is a form of manual medicine which recognises the important link between the structure of the body and the way it functions. Osteopaths focus on how the skeleton, joints, muscles, nerves, circulation, connective tissue and internal organs function as a holistic unit.

Using skilled evaluation, diagnosis and a wide range of hands-on techniques, osteopaths can identify dysfunction in your body. Osteopathic treatment uses techniques such as stretching and massage for general treatment of the soft tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) along with adjustments of specific joints and soft tissues.

In Australia, osteopaths are government registered practitioners who complete a minimum of five years university, which covers anatomy, physiology, pathology, general medical diagnosis and osteopathic techniques. Osteopaths are primary healthcare practitioners and are trained to recognise conditions which require medical referral. They are also trained to perform standard medical examinations of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

For more information on osteopathy visit our Australian Osteopathic Association feature page.

This article was kindly brought to you by the Australian Osteopathic Association, AOA.

© Australian Osteopathic Association 2008. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior permission of the copyright owner.