HEP: Tension Headache
Patient Education
What’s going on?
Your muscles around your neck become stiff/tight from postures and positions you assume for your work or leisure.
An imbalance in the strength of some of your muscles and the tightness of other muscles can contribute to your pain and headaches.
How long will it take?
Research suggests that with therapy you can show significant improvement within 6 weeks.
How will we treat your condition at IHSM?
At IHSM, a doctor of physical therapy will perform a detailed physical examination to assess your neck and will relax or stretch your tight or overactive muscles that are found to be a contributing factor.
You will also be given stretching and strengthening exercises to do on your own to help regain the balance between the weak muscles and the tight muscles.
Your physical therapist will give helpful suggestions to avoid the aggravating positions, movements, or postures that increase your neck pain. This will include tips on how to set up an ergonomic workspace.
What can you do to help yourself?
It is crucial to pay attention to your posture. Try to maintain your ears line up over your shoulders and your shoulders lined up with your hips. This will assist in keeping your spine in a neutral position, which will relieve the stress of gravity on your neck muscles.
To help maintain proper posture make sure you set up an ergonomic workspace.
Take 30-second work breaks every 1 hour to readjust your posture and to do your stretches. Remember taking a break before your body experiences pain or discomfort is the way to manage your neck pain.
If any of the stretches or exercises aggravate your symptoms, let your physical therapist know so they can adjust your home exercise program.
Instructions:
You may do all of these exercises right away but avoid any movements that increase your pain.
About IHSM
Integrative Health and Sports Medicine, LLC is a one-stop health and wellness center. Our mission is to restore our patients to a healthy, pain-free, and productive life. By combining orthopedic physical therapy techniques, sports medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, we are able to treat conditions and achieve results in cases that have not responded well to modern Western medicine.
We are located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please email us at info@integrativesports.com to schedule a consultation and let us help you on your journey to optimal health.