“My headache is so bad. I am fearful of something seriously wrong with me.”
This is a common phase among many of our patients when we saw them for the first time. They had taken pain killers or migraine pills for many years.
And very sadly, they are so worried about when the headache will attack them next time and how long it may persist, without knowing an apparent reason or trigger.
We will treat your headache with a very effective and scientifically-proven approach that provides long-term, life-changing results.
We will free you from headache, so
you won’t have to think about migraine or headache any more!
So you enjoy your life!!
Types of headaches
Do you have headaches regularly? Is it a tension headache that you feel pressure/tightness around your forehead,or back of your head and neck? Do you suffer from migraine? Or you have both headaches and migraines?
Your headache worsens on rainy and cloudy days? You have a dull pain in your head before and/or during your period? Is it associated with the consumption of any certain food/ drink or a particular smell and you have been wondering if it is intolerance or allergy? Is your headache / migraine associated with nausea, dizziness or watery eyes?
In the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition (ICHD-3) produced by the International Headache Society (IHS), there are 14 major classes of headaches and there are more than 300 kinds of headaches and migraines in the book. The number of types of headaches grows at every new edition.
We have seen hundreds of patients who have suffered from persistent headaches. We can say, each and every person has different symptoms, severity and triggers for his or her headache / migraine.
Whichever way you describe your symptoms, we initially determine if your condition is safely treatable by physiotherapy or not. Headache could be a symptom of a life threatening condition. Therefore, it must be assessed and managed carefully and skillfully. So it is very important to seek the right help.
As our headache specialised physio, Tad Okutani also has expertise in Jaw joint treatment and dizziness treatment, his wide range of knowledge and experience enable us to diagnose and treat your headache even more accurately and effectively.
Sensitised Brainstem
It is often believed by many, including the medical experts, and it is a common practice to see a prescription of medicine as a quick-fix to all types of headaches, particularly for migraines and tension-type headaches. Yes, it is, but how good would it be if you didn’t need to have a box of painkillers beside you and forget the worries over side-effects or addiction to it?
At Metro Physiotherapy, our skilled and experienced physiotherapist applies the Watson Headache as his primary approach for diagnosis and treatment. The concept of the approach is that the neck is the principal cause of headaches or migraines. We believe primary headaches occur due to brainstem’s sensory processing disorder caused by upper neck dysfunction and they are treatable by physiotherapy applied to the top three cervical spines.
Your brainstem has become sensitised by accumulation or large volume of pain signals over a long period of time. With this powerful and effective approach, we can achieve your treatment goal in the shortest period of time.
Starting your Headache Treatment
At consultations, you expect to
Be asked clinical questions
Interviewing plays a critical and crucial role to explore and discover the root cause of your symptom. You will be asked a series of detailed and comprehensive questions at your first consultation.
Be measured in posture, range-of-motions and muscle functions
Objective examination of your neck and other relevant areas will highlight current functional problems.
Be diagnosed
An accurate diagnosis based on specifically designed assessment is the first step to your successful treatment.
Set your treatment goal
Everyone has his or her only symptom or a worry . Setting your own goal and taking charge of your program will help accelerate your recovery!
Have your personalised treatment plan
Based on your condition and goal, the headache specialised Physio creates your personalised treatment plan.
Receive manual therapy
By the headache expert physio. Applying safe and effective manual therapy on the neck requires a good quality of experience. Sometimes it is not appropriate to provide manual therapy, such as when you are suffering from strong pain.
Have home exercises prescribed
Self exercises at home will accelerate headache resolution. We believe that it is very beneficial for you to know the ways of self management and maintenance. We will prescribe appropriate exercises at the right stage of treatment according to your condition and progress.
Receive advice for your habits
We believe education plays an important role in successful treatment. You will significantly benefit from altering your habits, posture and other lifestyle habits that caused headaches or migraines.
An estimation of the total economic cost resulting from headaches-and-migraines-related loss of productive time has been widely cited in the media. It is not “just a headache”. Your life will be even greater and more colourful without headache!
We love to help you.